2006-09-29
《紅樓夢》捲入中日仇恨？
中日民族仇恨扯上中國四大名著之一的清代小說《紅樓夢》。日本一家電玩遊戲公司推出名為《紅樓館奴隸》成人情色遊戲，林黛玉竟成「娼婦與外國人的私生女」，基於中日仇恨的民族情緒，遊戲一出立即遭到大陸網友撻伐，甚至要求停產道歉。
（中時電子報，23/9/06）
其實，有甚麼值得大驚小怪？廿多三十年前，香港不就已拍過《紅樓春上春》嗎？還是哥哥張國榮演那「天下古今第一淫人」寶玉的呢！
Chinese miffed by lewd Japanese computer game (Reuters, 28/9/06)
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（中時電子報，23/9/06）
其實，有甚麼值得大驚小怪？廿多三十年前，香港不就已拍過《紅樓春上春》嗎？還是哥哥張國榮演那「天下古今第一淫人」寶玉的呢！
Chinese miffed by lewd Japanese computer game (Reuters, 28/9/06)
2006-09-26
Cheney spills the lemonade, and leaves someone else to clean it up
If you can spare the time to read an 8,000+ words article on this Dick, here it is:
Cheney: The Fatal Touch (Joan Didion, The New York Review of Books, Vol.53 No.15 5/10/06)
It was in some ways predictable that the central player in the system of willed errors and reversals that is the Bush administration would turn out to be its vice-president, Richard B. Cheney. Here was a man with considerable practice in the reversal of his own errors. He was never a star. No one ever called him a natural. He reached public life with every reason to believe that he would continue to both court failure and overcome it, take the lemons he seemed determined to pick for himself and make the lemonade, then spill it, let someone else clean up.
Cheney: The Fatal Touch (Joan Didion, The New York Review of Books, Vol.53 No.15 5/10/06)
It was in some ways predictable that the central player in the system of willed errors and reversals that is the Bush administration would turn out to be its vice-president, Richard B. Cheney. Here was a man with considerable practice in the reversal of his own errors. He was never a star. No one ever called him a natural. He reached public life with every reason to believe that he would continue to both court failure and overcome it, take the lemons he seemed determined to pick for himself and make the lemonade, then spill it, let someone else clean up.
《東尼瀧谷》基本上是「演述」原作
這篇《東尼瀧谷》影評（「東尼瀧谷」影後感，犬馬，26/9）跟我的有點相近：
我：最大的毛病，是劇情推演毫不簡約，極度依賴旁白驅策和交待，失敗之至。幾乎可以說，這是一部有畫面輔助的《東尼瀧谷》有聲書（audio book）。
犬馬：導演市川準改拍〈東尼瀧谷〉，基本上是「演述」原作，所謂的演述就是劇中人物彷彿是跟著旁白一起在吟誦小說文句。
但他提到電影與小說稍不一樣的結局，「把整個電影基調全然翻轉過來， ... 給了一個類似溫暖的希望成份」，而且似乎頗為欣賞。老實說，我是忽略了，可能是因為我自中段以後一直看得很不耐煩吧。
至於，我同不同意犬馬關於結局的看法？我想，只能重看後才能發言—但我不大可能會重看這部我認為是水準以下之作。
我：最大的毛病，是劇情推演毫不簡約，極度依賴旁白驅策和交待，失敗之至。幾乎可以說，這是一部有畫面輔助的《東尼瀧谷》有聲書（audio book）。
犬馬：導演市川準改拍〈東尼瀧谷〉，基本上是「演述」原作，所謂的演述就是劇中人物彷彿是跟著旁白一起在吟誦小說文句。
但他提到電影與小說稍不一樣的結局，「把整個電影基調全然翻轉過來， ... 給了一個類似溫暖的希望成份」，而且似乎頗為欣賞。老實說，我是忽略了，可能是因為我自中段以後一直看得很不耐煩吧。
至於，我同不同意犬馬關於結局的看法？我想，只能重看後才能發言—但我不大可能會重看這部我認為是水準以下之作。
2006-09-25
澳洲啤梨
剛和太座談吃啤梨，忽然想起我在從世界中心走到頂端遊記中寫幼時對澳洲的印象，可能有誤。我是這樣寫的：對澳洲產生初步的印象，是在初中上地理課時，老師說澳洲面積幾乎有中國那麼大，但卻人煙稀少 ...
對澳洲產生初步印象，其實可能不是來自初中地理，而是澳洲啤梨廣告。尤記得幾十年前，香港有個電視廣告，一個後生仔咬了一口啤梨，滿嘴汁液，然後對著鏡頭說：「啤梨梗係澳洲啤梨最好食，又多水，又多汁！」
那年頭，啤梨是一種價格頗貴的水果，我還以為，梨（一般指天津鴨咀梨）是梨，而啤梨則是高級梨。後來才知道梨英文叫pear，啤梨也叫pear，在香港的譯名其實即是pear pear，或梨梨，是音譯加意譯。
澳洲啤梨其實只是一種普遍不過的水果，但的確很好食。
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中國梨和澳洲啤梨雖都叫梨，但外觀和口感都很不同，翻閱Wikipedia，原來兩者均屬一個Pyrus大家庭。所謂澳洲啤梨，其實是歐洲梨的一種。至於第三種常吃的梨，是nashi pear，香港一般譯作水晶梨，以前一般從日本進口，價錢超貴。Nashi pear在澳洲亦被廣泛種植。
Nashi pear其實亦即是pear pear或梨梨，同樣是音譯加意譯，因為nashi是梨的日文讀音。
2006-09-24
觀影讀書流水賬 24/9
本週忙於為年底日本之旅搜集資料和訂票訂房，電影只看了市川準的《東尼瀧谷》，讀書更只能交白卷。
印象中，我讀過的《東尼瀧谷》影評似乎都頗正面，認為能以簡約風格拍出川上春樹筆下的疏離感。
我倒認為這是一部失敗之作。
首先聲明，市川準的電影以前未看過，對他的導演手法和過往成績一無所知。村上春樹的原著讀過，電影可算十分忠於原著。
首先，以當今所謂「簡約風格」制作的美術品，十居其九毫不簡約，而且往往有過份營造和偏向做作的弊端。電影《東尼瀧谷》即為一例。在視覺上，看似簡約，實則濃密，但成績尚可。音樂方面，則幾乎有搔擾觀眾之嫌。不過，最大的毛病，是劇情推演毫不簡約，極度依賴旁白驅策和交待，失敗之至。幾乎可以說，這是一部有畫面輔助的《東尼瀧谷》有聲書（audio book）。
作為一部電影，《東尼瀧谷》是水準以下之作。
作為一部村上春村原著改編電影，《東尼瀧谷》也是水準以下之作，因為它未能拍出「村上春樹」感。關於這點，可能難怪市川準。「村上春樹」感，可能根本不可能經別人之手以電影形式表達。
看來，村上春樹將不再允許將其作品改編電影。
印象中，我讀過的《東尼瀧谷》影評似乎都頗正面，認為能以簡約風格拍出川上春樹筆下的疏離感。
我倒認為這是一部失敗之作。
首先聲明，市川準的電影以前未看過，對他的導演手法和過往成績一無所知。村上春樹的原著讀過，電影可算十分忠於原著。
首先，以當今所謂「簡約風格」制作的美術品，十居其九毫不簡約，而且往往有過份營造和偏向做作的弊端。電影《東尼瀧谷》即為一例。在視覺上，看似簡約，實則濃密，但成績尚可。音樂方面，則幾乎有搔擾觀眾之嫌。不過，最大的毛病，是劇情推演毫不簡約，極度依賴旁白驅策和交待，失敗之至。幾乎可以說，這是一部有畫面輔助的《東尼瀧谷》有聲書（audio book）。
作為一部電影，《東尼瀧谷》是水準以下之作。
作為一部村上春村原著改編電影，《東尼瀧谷》也是水準以下之作，因為它未能拍出「村上春樹」感。關於這點，可能難怪市川準。「村上春樹」感，可能根本不可能經別人之手以電影形式表達。
看來，村上春樹將不再允許將其作品改編電影。
2006-09-23
World Movies Channel的亞洲電影
雖然澳洲的World Movies Channel以播放歐陸非英語片為主，但亞洲電影亦常有播放。無無聊聊，忽然想點算一下該台十月份將播放多少部中港台日韓電影。點算結果如下：
中
天地英雄
港
大丈夫2，少林門，威龍猛探，A計劃，A計劃續集，城市獵人，新警察故事（首播）（以上六部屬10月2日的成龍馬拉松），英雄本色III-夕陽之歌，異度空間，三更2，誘僧，公主復仇記，2046，旺角黑夜
台
20:30:40（首播）
日
鬼來電，Appleseed，Cowboy Bebop，東尼瀧谷，赤鬍子
韓
太極旗飄揚，殺人回憶，姊魅情深，阿羅漢，The Swamp（首播），原罪犯
共計27部，3部首播。
中
天地英雄
港
大丈夫2，少林門，威龍猛探，A計劃，A計劃續集，城市獵人，新警察故事（首播）（以上六部屬10月2日的成龍馬拉松），英雄本色III-夕陽之歌，異度空間，三更2，誘僧，公主復仇記，2046，旺角黑夜
台
20:30:40（首播）
日
鬼來電，Appleseed，Cowboy Bebop，東尼瀧谷，赤鬍子
韓
太極旗飄揚，殺人回憶，姊魅情深，阿羅漢，The Swamp（首播），原罪犯
共計27部，3部首播。
2006-09-20
Greg Mankiw's blog
Just came across Greg Mankiw's Blog - Random Observations for Students of Economics.
Greg Mankiw is the author of THE best-selling introductory Economics textbook in today's market. I belong to the older, Samuelson generation. So, Mankiw is just a name I have heard many many times, but whose books I have never read.
On the sidebar of the blog, under "Self Promotion", I see links to "My Harvard Website", "My Textbooks", "My Site Feed" and "The Best Way to Learn Economics". The first 3 are self-explanatory. I thought the fourth was an article he wrote on how best to learn Economics. But no, it is a link to Amazon.com's listing of his Principles of Economics! This guy surely knows how to self promote!
Greg Mankiw is the author of THE best-selling introductory Economics textbook in today's market. I belong to the older, Samuelson generation. So, Mankiw is just a name I have heard many many times, but whose books I have never read.
On the sidebar of the blog, under "Self Promotion", I see links to "My Harvard Website", "My Textbooks", "My Site Feed" and "The Best Way to Learn Economics". The first 3 are self-explanatory. I thought the fourth was an article he wrote on how best to learn Economics. But no, it is a link to Amazon.com's listing of his Principles of Economics! This guy surely knows how to self promote!
蔡瀾夢遊
翻閱圖書館的史前壹週刊（2006年1月5日，第826期），見蔡瀾寫「夢遊札爾克列」。他說自1988年去過南斯拉夫後，「自此之後沒去過，中間發生了內戰，... 2005即將結束。明年，我一定要去一次。」
「明年」，即2006年，即今年，不知蔡瀾有沒有真的重遊他口中「至愛的國家」？
當然，他是沒有可能再去那個國家的了，因為經過連年內戰後，南斯拉夫（Yugoslavia）在1992年已四分五裂，名存實亡，僅剩下塞爾維亞（Serbia）與黑山（Montenegro）兩個地區。到2003年更索性棄用南斯拉夫之名，改名為塞爾維亞和黑山（Serbia and Montenegro）。不過，黑山亦已於2006年6月獨立，只餘下塞爾維亞孤家寡國了。
蔡瀾夢遊的札爾克列（Zagreb），今天已是克羅地亞（Croatia）的首都了。蔡瀾在介紹札爾克列時多次提及南斯拉夫，例如「南斯拉夫青年是好奇的」、「認識多一點南斯拉夫文化」、和「這時候你剛剛認識的南斯拉夫人一定大樂」。
如果你到札爾克列旅行，稱當地人為南斯拉夫人，客氣的會一笑置之，火爆的可能會揮拳相向呢！克羅地亞為爭取獨立，被控制南斯拉夫的塞爾維亞攻打好幾年，到1995年才如願以償。今天炮火痕跡依然多處可見，更是旅遊賣點呢。
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今年5-6月，我曾到中歐旅遊，到過克羅地亞多個城市和才剛獨立不過數天的黑山。
「明年」，即2006年，即今年，不知蔡瀾有沒有真的重遊他口中「至愛的國家」？
當然，他是沒有可能再去那個國家的了，因為經過連年內戰後，南斯拉夫（Yugoslavia）在1992年已四分五裂，名存實亡，僅剩下塞爾維亞（Serbia）與黑山（Montenegro）兩個地區。到2003年更索性棄用南斯拉夫之名，改名為塞爾維亞和黑山（Serbia and Montenegro）。不過，黑山亦已於2006年6月獨立，只餘下塞爾維亞孤家寡國了。
蔡瀾夢遊的札爾克列（Zagreb），今天已是克羅地亞（Croatia）的首都了。蔡瀾在介紹札爾克列時多次提及南斯拉夫，例如「南斯拉夫青年是好奇的」、「認識多一點南斯拉夫文化」、和「這時候你剛剛認識的南斯拉夫人一定大樂」。
如果你到札爾克列旅行，稱當地人為南斯拉夫人，客氣的會一笑置之，火爆的可能會揮拳相向呢！克羅地亞為爭取獨立，被控制南斯拉夫的塞爾維亞攻打好幾年，到1995年才如願以償。今天炮火痕跡依然多處可見，更是旅遊賣點呢。
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今年5-6月，我曾到中歐旅遊，到過克羅地亞多個城市和才剛獨立不過數天的黑山。
2006-09-18
Father Naylor's 40 years in Wah Yan College, Kowloon
Attention all WYK boys, Father Naylor's autobiography:
Although I was never in Father Naylor's classes during my years (1974-1981) in WYK, I believe I know him well. In fact, all WYK boys believe they know him well, since he is such an interesting and colourful character. I still remember we used to jokingly call him the "Evil Monk"!
Although I was never in Father Naylor's classes during my years (1974-1981) in WYK, I believe I know him well. In fact, all WYK boys believe they know him well, since he is such an interesting and colourful character. I still remember we used to jokingly call him the "Evil Monk"!
A pair in despair
The footballer in the photo is the Norwegian striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. An Arsenal fan comments that his gesture looks "Norwegian". To understand what he means, have a look at some of the paintings of that famous Norwegian painter, Edvard Munch.
誰讓咱見不得謊話連篇歪曲歷史呢
不久前，在毛澤東去世三十週年那天，我引用中國政府拿來教訓曰本的兩句話 - 「忘記歷史，就意味著背叛；篡改歷史，就是重蹈覆轍的開端」 - 希望當權者能自我反省。
昨天，我讀黃小邪的網誌，有這麼一小段關於她讀書的趣事：
高中、大學時覺歷史、政治考試最容易混，在史實基礎上胡說八道，總能混90多分。不過也有例外，大學時所有功課中，所得分數最低的一門便是“中國革命史”，勉強及格。看來“中國革命史”是克星，誰讓咱見不得謊話連篇歪曲歷史呢。
（註：黃小邪是大陸文藝女生，現正放洋留學）
昨天，我讀黃小邪的網誌，有這麼一小段關於她讀書的趣事：
高中、大學時覺歷史、政治考試最容易混，在史實基礎上胡說八道，總能混90多分。不過也有例外，大學時所有功課中，所得分數最低的一門便是“中國革命史”，勉強及格。看來“中國革命史”是克星，誰讓咱見不得謊話連篇歪曲歷史呢。
（註：黃小邪是大陸文藝女生，現正放洋留學）
2006-09-17
觀影讀書流水賬 9月17日
觀影：Bo Widerberg 《All Things Fair/Lust och fagring stor》
張秉堅 《窒息》
讀書：
《新解紅樓夢 續》
童元方 《水流花靜-科學與詩的對話》
Jonathan Yang 《The Rough Guide to Blogging》
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讀童元方的《水流花靜-科學與詩的對話》是一次很不爽的經歷。書的副題-科學與詩的對話-吸引我買和讀此書，但結果大失所望。她認為書中所收文章可以用「科學與詩的對話」來概括，但我看不到有甚麼深刻的「對話」在內。不僅如此，讀此書讓我感到作者的矯情、淺薄和虛榮。
哈佛、劍橋、哈佛的、劍橋的、哈佛人、劍橋人...沒完沒了。
The White Hotel movie
Some weeks ago, I wrote about novels in which Freud appears as a major character. The most well-known one, and one which I like very much, is D. M. Thomas's The White Hotel.According to the Variety, it will finally be adapted into a movie and production is expected to start later this year, 25 years after the novel was published (see White Hotel Makes Progress (CanMag) and White Hotel Gets a Start Date (Cinematical), both dated 18/8/06).
The copy of The White Hotel I have is a King Penguin paperback dated 1981 (the year the novel was first published). On its back cover, "soon to be a major film" was printed in all-capital and bold type.
As it turned out "soon" means 2007 at the earliest, assuming no further hiccups along the way.
So what happened? Jason Buchanan's All Movie Guide summarised the past quarter of a century in a paragraph:
After a number of false starts beginning with screen icon Barbra Streisand's efforts to star in a film adaptation in the early '80s, "The White Hotel" was shopped around to such high-profile filmmakers as Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Terrence Malick, and David Cronenberg and at various points was set to star such screen heavyweights as Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Isabella Rossellini, and Anthony Hopkins.
Let D.M Thomas himself tells you his celluloid dreams (The Guardian, 28/8/04):One thing is certain: the imagined film is wonderful. It's fully worthy of the combined, unified, unegotistical genius of its directors Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Hector Babenco, Emir Kusturica, Pedro Almodovar and David Cronenberg; employing the world's greatest cameramen and designers; the writing talent of Charles Mee, Dennis Potter, Joan Juliet Buck, Dusan Kovacevic, and even myself; the acting skills of Meryl Streep, Isabella Rossellini, Juliette Binoche, Nicole Kidman, Lena Olin, Emily Watson, Anthony Hopkins, Dustin Hoffman, Ralph Fiennes and many other brilliant actors; making us thrill at astonishing virtual reality effects, Showscan landscapes and glass fibre optics - but never cheaply or meretriciously, rather always serving the truth of my novel. I am hugely grateful for it. I never tire of seeing Lisa in the train, a blue lake outside, and hearing the first crashing chords of Don Giovanni... Or perhaps clowns tumbling in a circus ring, with Nazi officers gazing up at Lisa, swinging through the air.
According to Susan Stewart Potter, the producer and a co-screenwriter for the soon-to-commence project:
The real story behind this long-awaited, often stalled or shut down project is actually quite simple. There were two scurrilous producers, John Roberdeau and Robert Geisler, who lost the rights early on, but who continued -- under a straw company -- to attach directors and stars to the project. Bertolucci was ready to roll camera when the rightful owner of the motion picture rights got wind of the production and shut it down -- with a court order. Kusterica, Cronenberg, and others all fell under this ax.
I came along at the right time... just as the rights were becoming legally clear and free... and did a deal with the atty, who held the rights.
Trivia - so many Potters: Susan Stewart Potter, who is instrumental in turning The White Hotel movie into reality, is known for her role as the librettist for the 1993 musical drama Joan of Arc. She, however, is not related to David Potter, composer for Joan of Arc. As far as I know, she is also not related to Dennis Potter, who was tasked to write the screenplay of The White Hotel for David Lynch in the early 1990s. D.M. Thomas says that "when I was sent Potter's screenplay, I was dismayed to find Freud and Vienna deleted, and my operatic heroine now a high-wire act in a Berlin circus. Don Giovanni and Eugene Onegin had given way to jaunty Potteresque tunes from the 30s." ("Potteresque" of course refers to yet another Potter - Cole Potter). Dennis Potter died in 1994.
(originally posted on 19/8/06, updated on 17/9/06)
Serve for the match
A great sport photo I came across when googling. It is from a New York Times news on Sharapova beating Mauresmo to reach the final of the US Open 2006.
Sharapova went on to win the title, beating Henin-Hardenne in straight sets.
Sharapova went on to win the title, beating Henin-Hardenne in straight sets.
2006-09-16
K Blog: All About Kieslowski
Introducing my new (third) blog: K Blog: All About Kieslowski
It started out as an attempt to test the new Blogger functionalities through creating a new blog (my other two blogs, including this one, are still with "old" Blogger).
To give the new blog contents, I copies all my blog entries on Kieslowski here over the past 3 1/2 years to the new blog. Since then, I have also added a few new entries.
It started out as an attempt to test the new Blogger functionalities through creating a new blog (my other two blogs, including this one, are still with "old" Blogger).
To give the new blog contents, I copies all my blog entries on Kieslowski here over the past 3 1/2 years to the new blog. Since then, I have also added a few new entries.
2006-09-14
2006-09-13
A review of Gunter Grass's memoir
by Ian Buruma, one of my favourite writers:
War and Rememberance (The New Yorkers, 18/9/06)
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Ian Buruma is the author of Wages of Guilt: Memories of War in Germany and Japan
Ian Buruma's official site
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In Wages of Guilt, Buruma recounted a public discussion between Gunter Grass and Oe Kenzaburo at the 1990 Frankfurt Book Fair:
[Grass said] A unified Germany was a danger to itself and to the world. Oe nodded gravely and added that Japan was a great danger too. The Japanese, he said, had never faced up to their crimes. Japan was a racist country. Yes, but so was Germany, said Grass, not to be outdone, so was Germany; in fact, Germany was worse: what about the hatred of Poles, Turks, and foreigners in general? Ah, said Oe, but what about Japanese discrimination against Koreans and Ainu? No the Japanese must surely be worse. ...
War and Rememberance (The New Yorkers, 18/9/06)
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Ian Buruma is the author of Wages of Guilt: Memories of War in Germany and Japan
Ian Buruma's official site
----------
In Wages of Guilt, Buruma recounted a public discussion between Gunter Grass and Oe Kenzaburo at the 1990 Frankfurt Book Fair:
[Grass said] A unified Germany was a danger to itself and to the world. Oe nodded gravely and added that Japan was a great danger too. The Japanese, he said, had never faced up to their crimes. Japan was a racist country. Yes, but so was Germany, said Grass, not to be outdone, so was Germany; in fact, Germany was worse: what about the hatred of Poles, Turks, and foreigners in general? Ah, said Oe, but what about Japanese discrimination against Koreans and Ainu? No the Japanese must surely be worse. ...
2006-09-11
Leonard Cohen inspires
On being known as a poet and a singer, Leonard Cohen says, "I had the title poet, and maybe I was one for a while. Also, the title singer was kindly accorded me, even though I could barely carry a tune."Given his old age and the fact that he "could barely carry a tune", the majority of the songs in his last 2 albums ("Ten New Songs" and "Dear Heather") were sung by his long-term working partners Sharon Robinson and Anjani Thomas.
Anjani began her collaboration with Cohen by singing background vocals in the mid-80s on the song Hallelujah. In "Dear Heather", Anjani produced 2 of the songs and sang 8 of the 13 tracks.
Now, Anjani has released her own album "Blue Alert" in May, with all songs written and arranged by Anjani and Cohen, and produced by Cohen himself.* According to Anjani, "I never knew we were making a record, I just thought I'd make a demo for Leonard to put his vocals on." It began with some handwritten lines [there's perfume burning in the air/bits of beauty everywhere] which Anjani happened to notice on Cohen's desk. This was the first draft of "Blue Alert," which Cohen intended to record himself. Anjani asked, "Can I have a crack at this?" He replied, "You can have it for a minute or two, and then you have to return it." ...
Remarkably, Madeleine Peyroux's latest album, to be released tomorrow, is called "Half the Perfect World", and features "Half the Perfect World" and "Blue Alert" from Anjani's "Blue Alert" Album. Peyroux, who has a Billy Holliday voice, also recorded "Crazy To Love You", another track from Anjani's album, for Japan release only.
* Nightingale also appeared in the "Dear Heather" album. The solo version in "Blue Alert" is far superior, in my opinion.
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Listen to four songs from "Blue Alert" in Anjani's Myspace Music site.
Watch "The Making of Blue Alert" and the song "Thanks for the Dance" (hi- and lo-res videos to choose from).
Watch the song "Innermost Door" (lo-res, Youtube video).
老毛處處在
毛澤東逝世三十週年紀念日當天和後一天，我和老毛多次打照面。首先是我在網上尋找他的蹤影，他雖低調得很，但仍可在那個強國論壇上讀些可笑可悲的紀念文章。
後來無聊地拿遙控轉台時，忽見BBC World請來Isabel Hilton和Jonathan Fenby論毛，又看了一陣。
下午看張楊的《向日葵》。影片開場，父親下放六年後回家，與妻子團聚，竟隨即遇上大地震和老毛駕崩。
其後兩天，讀了兩本紅學書，又尋得老毛身影。王蒙在《王蒙活說紅樓夢》中三番四次提到老毛的紅學觀。雖說他倡議／批示的「革命的紅學」並未帶來「紅學的革命」，而且已漸被歷史淘汰，但他畢竟是個紅迷，紅學書提到他也不能算是奇事。但奇事總是有的。在《新解紅樓夢 續》中有一篇梁歸智的探佚紅學，在討論“湘妃”的典故時，竟「失驚無神」地提到「湖南人毛澤東有一首歌頌故鄉的詩...」乍看還以為這位湖南人毛澤東與那位萬歲萬萬歲的湖南人毛澤東是兩個不同的人呢！
2006-09-10
觀影讀書流水賬 10/9
觀影：張楊 《向日葵》
余偉國 《再說一次我愛你》
Sara Johnsen 《Kissed by Winter/Vinterkyss》
讀書：
王蒙 《王蒙活說紅樓夢》
《失語者的呼聲：中國打工妹口述》
Spencer Johnson 《Who Moved My Cheese》
Fareed Zakaria 《The Future of Freedom: Liberal Democracy at Home and Abroad》
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看張楊的《向日葵》真應景啊。影片開場，父親下放六年後回家，與妻子團聚，隨即遇上大地震、老毛駕崩和打倒四人幫。
和前作《洗澡》一樣，《向日葵》也是一部踏實的父子倫理片。
手邊還有他的《太陽花》未看。
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說余偉國的《再說一次我愛你》是部港產韓片，是否貼切？
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《王蒙活說紅樓夢》拉拉址扯，文字囉嗦，章節內容常有重覆，愈後的章節寫得愈壞，比前作《紅樓啟示錄》差得遠了。本書給我的印象，是王蒙將新近登在三兩本普及讀物上的說紅文章結集而成。
另外，他不只一次在書中提到《紅樓夢》也講「世事洞明皆學問 人情練達即文章」，但他可沒有告訴讀者這兩句金句在書中出現的背景：寶玉一見房中掛著的「世事洞明皆學問 人情練達即文章」對聯大為不滿，忙說：「快出去！快出去！」 ... 於是去了秦可卿的房間 ...
2006-09-09
忘記歷史 就意味著背叛 篡改歷史 就是重蹈覆轍的開端
「忘記歷史，就意味著背叛；篡改歷史，就是重蹈覆轍的開端」。這句話，拿來教訓別人，鏗鏘有聲。其實，也應以此反問自己。
「中國人所期待的，不過是政府能夠正視歷史事實，把真實的而不是篡改的、完整的而不是殘缺的歷史，用真誠的而不是虛偽的態度告訴中國人，讓子孫後代不忘汲取教訓」。這樣的要求不為過吧？
「中國人所期待的，不過是政府能夠正視歷史事實，把真實的而不是篡改的、完整的而不是殘缺的歷史，用真誠的而不是虛偽的態度告訴中國人，讓子孫後代不忘汲取教訓」。這樣的要求不為過吧？
State election
Went to the polling station to vote for the State election this morning. Quite a low-key event, actually.
2006-09-08
鳳姐來了！
鳳姐Sister Fung終於搞了個網誌！
舉凡中外戲曲，鳳姐全都入迷，又都在行。她自稱「戲曲義工」，又寫又講又唱，更不遺餘力地宣揚。我本是除少量任白外戲曲一概不聽之人，竟在她的宣揚下聽點越劇，聽點崑曲，津津有味。
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網誌提到她和姐姐（也是鳳姐）一對崑曲姐妹花到網上電台接受訪問，連講帶唱。這還是我第一次聽鳳姐唱戲呢！有興趣收聽的可到七一電台重溫9月5日「女人話事」節目或直接下載該節目的mp3。不容錯過！
舉凡中外戲曲，鳳姐全都入迷，又都在行。她自稱「戲曲義工」，又寫又講又唱，更不遺餘力地宣揚。我本是除少量任白外戲曲一概不聽之人，竟在她的宣揚下聽點越劇，聽點崑曲，津津有味。
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網誌提到她和姐姐（也是鳳姐）一對崑曲姐妹花到網上電台接受訪問，連講帶唱。這還是我第一次聽鳳姐唱戲呢！有興趣收聽的可到七一電台重溫9月5日「女人話事」節目或直接下載該節目的mp3。不容錯過！
2006-09-07
張戎毛傳中文版面世
張戎（Jung Chang）和哈利戴（Jon Halliday)合著的Mao: The Unknown Story面世以來，譭譽參半。而張戎自譯的中文版，出版過程更一波三折，但總算趕及在毛澤東逝世三十週年推出市場。中文版明問世 毛澤東:鮮為人知的故事（中時電子報）
張戎﹕讓讀者了解真實的毛澤東（多維新聞網）
Trying out the new Blogger - K Blog
I have been using Blogger for over 3 years, but have never been entirely satisfied with it. Blogger has recently introduced a new version and is migrating existing blogs to the new platform in batches.
It's not my turn for migration yet but I am curious about which the new version is all about. So I decided to open a new blog to try out its functionalities. To do a quick job, I just copied all my Kieslowski-related blog entries in 2006 to the new blog and called it the K Blog.
It's not my turn for migration yet but I am curious about which the new version is all about. So I decided to open a new blog to try out its functionalities. To do a quick job, I just copied all my Kieslowski-related blog entries in 2006 to the new blog and called it the K Blog.
2006-09-06
Which family member?
Materazzi finally revealed that he insulted Zidane's sister, which led to that infamous headbutt and the sending off of Zidane during the World Cup final.
Most newspaper sport pages reported this news and the Telegraph was no exception. But curiously, the caption to a photo of Materazzi which accompanies the news article says "Materazzi: insulted Zidane's mother prior to headbutt"
?!
Most newspaper sport pages reported this news and the Telegraph was no exception. But curiously, the caption to a photo of Materazzi which accompanies the news article says "Materazzi: insulted Zidane's mother prior to headbutt"
?!
2006-09-05
Trying out Picasa Web Album - Tohoku Travel Photos
I have been trying out Picasa Web Album as yet another free site for photo storage and sharing (I already have Flickr, Yahoo! Photos, Slide and Webshots). The interfect is really nice and the ease of operation is just phenomenal (shame on Yahoo! Photos).
Below are photos of my late 2002 travel to the Tohoku region of Japan. I was still using film camera at that time. The photos were then converted to digital form using my home printer/copier/fax/scanner, hence the inferior quality of the products.
Below are photos of my late 2002 travel to the Tohoku region of Japan. I was still using film camera at that time. The photos were then converted to digital form using my home printer/copier/fax/scanner, hence the inferior quality of the products.
2006-09-03
觀影讀書流水賬 3/9
觀影：Joshua Marston 《Maria Full of Grace》
Eleonore Faucher 《A Common Thread/Brodeuses》
Jannik Johansen 《Murk/Morke》
朴贊旭 《原罪犯/Oldboy》
讀書：
王宣一 《國宴與家宴》 這本書記錄的是那樣一個年代，一個家庭餐桌和廚房裡的光陰的故事。
江獻珠 《珠璣小館家常菜譜第三集》
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可在網上閱讀《國宴與家宴》之：
自序：廚房裡的光陰的故事 | 母親與西瓜 | 國宴與家宴
Classics for free
(original: 30/8; updated: 3/9)
(Original) Google plans to begin letting consumers download and print free of charge classic novels and many other, more obscure books that are in the public domain. (MSNBC, 29/8/06)
(Updated) If you don't bother to read, have them read to you: Public domain books, ready for your iPod (New York Times, 2/9)
(Original) Google plans to begin letting consumers download and print free of charge classic novels and many other, more obscure books that are in the public domain. (MSNBC, 29/8/06)
(Updated) If you don't bother to read, have them read to you: Public domain books, ready for your iPod (New York Times, 2/9)
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