Sunday, July 27, 2008

A queuing gone horribly wrong

For a moment I thought the queuing day imposed by the authoritarian regime is going to have an effect. But apparently not! When push comes to shuffle, a seemingly normal routine can easily disintegrate into something chaotic, as is proven here. Beijing should have known that "an old habit dies hard," and is nearly impossible to eradicate overnight. Same goes for the cumulative effect of pollution. You cannot expect to erase pollution overnight, unless a miracle occur. But then, considering an atheist China, miracle is indeed in short supply there.

An Olympics without the fanfare

China has come a long way since it won the bid to host the 2008 Olympics. It has bribed its way to secure the bid, stifled its opponents, intimidated those who speaks the truth, repressed and tarnished the outspoken activists domestic and worldwide. Now, with the venues all complete, the disposable workforce are evicted so their slums maybe face-lifted to a representable China. In the name of security, a city is now in complete lockdown mode, stripped away all its vitalities so the slightest chance of "supposed" terrorists attack would be unfold before its too late. In addition to the ridiculous Visa rules, the government has also imposed numerous restrictions on foreigners so their whereabouts and intention would not pose a threat to national security. So that its brainwashed citizens, upon interacting with a foreigner, would still abide by and not question the authority. To further the alienation, it has even gone great length to create a manual devising citizens as to how to identify a terrorist and react to in case of a terrorist event, and even set up designated areas for government-sanctioned "protests," bringing closure to the total farce of hosting the Olympics.

Is Beijing ready for Olympics? Yes and no. It is ready with world-class sports venue and a polished image ready to shine, but with an alienated hospitality and pretentious warmth, it is hardly ready to embrace the worldwide audiences, foreign dignitaries, and critics. Maybe an Olympics without the fanfare, synonymous to its torch rely, is exactly what Beijing is looking for, considering the effort it has so far vested in.

An Olympics without the fanfare is truly an event worth watching. Just think about it, the athletes will be able to concentrate without any distraction. How nice is that? :)

Two noticeably prominent media blogs on Beijing Olympics are Middle Kingdom from Geoffrey York and BBC's James Reynolds' China.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Viva la Vida

Live the Life, or something like it.

In a turbulent world of ever changing pace, live the life may not be as glorious and casual as it seems. First, a compromise must be made between life and what is supporting life. Second, different people may have different perception in living the life. Despite personal background, opinion, political, racial and religious differences, it is important to shed a hectic schedule and embrace "Viva la Vida." Only after the full compliance would one dawn the true meaning of life, a life which materialistic possession paves way to frustration, puzzlement and death. Where euphoria contrasts materialism and emerges only after the full surrender of lusting senses.

Live life to the fullest,
Despise all that endangers it,
Protect the cherishing moments,
Engrave the everlasting memory.

"Viva la Vida!"



Artist: Coldplay
Album: Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends (2008)

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
"Now the old king is dead, long live the king"

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
Once you'd gone there was never
Never an honest word
That was when I ruled the world

It was a wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh, who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
I know St. Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Ohh...

Hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
I know St. Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Ooh...

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Social networks, a tool to keep 'you' in check!

I was meant to write this piece earlier after having read CS Monitor's article on a premier social network site, Facebook. But it never took off, until recently. When someone dearest of mine starts addicting to Facebook. Notice I jolt down "addicting" instead of "using." It is one thing to "use" the network to "connect," it is another thing to spend 15-hour day on such networking.

Humans are inherently hierarchical social beings. It's a scientifically proven fact that socializing brings forth the survival of the fittest, given chance to parenthood and the passing of the genes. Specifically, we are hierarchical social beings since we tend to socialize amongst known companion of similar background, interest and social hierarchy. In modern days, socializing means opportunities, jobs, love, and perhaps even marriage for some. But to socialize face-to-face in person, one has to be bold, reckless and perhaps a bit of luck in order to turn a thin thread of initial impression into a firm, trusting relationship, the course of which is a challenging hardship, but with fruitful rewards.

With the advent of Internet, the traditional method of face-to-face contact is no longer a requisite. Being tangible is no longer the "norm," when a simple access to the Information Highway would do. Anonymity becomes the new icebreaker between strangers and catchy topic on a forum instantly transforms into the new Mecca in the digital era. An era where a connection happens in a split second on a social network. It feels great to be connected with friends, interwoven in a vast network of supposed relationships and befriend with strangers whom may share only the slightest of interests. The persuasive power of a social network is tantamount. Its irresistible charm of connecting friends is as sweet as it gets. All these "virtual" friends sure to keep you company and instill a sense of utmost belonging when they're in fact hollow, intangible and merely imagination at work. I learned this lesson when I stupidly registered an Orkut account (similar to Facebook, but from Google,) and started dressing it up like Barbie dolls, and repeatedly logging in to see who left a message. Fortunately, with the cumulative experience of first-hand gaming addiction, the onset withdrawal instinct surfaced just as my journey began down the path of no return. I pulled away from social network and never looked back.

So I say, be careful. Social networking is addictive especially when curiosity overcome self restraint. Not only does it keep you in check, it is also addictive, especially with the whole complement of site renovation and photo uploading capabilities, it is as dangerous as online gaming. If there is still time, my suggestion to the regular user would be to pull away from social network and do some real, constructive, tangible network. At the end of day, you would feel better and thank me a thousand times over. :)

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Angels, angels, where art thou?

A peace of mind shall befall on the seeker of the holy guardian.

Angels, angels, where art thou? Art thou not the one whom everyone seeks and sought after? Behold, thou shalt come uninvited, ambush and slay thy enemies. Thou shalt protect and comfort thee until the end of days. Thou shalt use thy omnipotent self to safeguard thee biddings down the mortal road. I know that life won't break me. That when thee come to call thou won't forsake me. Loving thou whilst I'm alive and healthy I will abide forever.



Song:Angels
Singer:Robbie Williams

I sit and wait
does an angel contemplate my fate
and do they know
the places where we go
when we´re grey and old
´cos I´ve been told
that salvation lets their wings unfold
so when I’m lying in my bed
thoughts running through my head
and I feel that love is dead
I’m loving angels instead

and through it all she offers me protection
a lot of love and affection
whether I’m right or wrong
and down the waterfall
wherever it may take me
I know that life wont break me
when I come to call she wont forsake me
I’m loving angels instead

when I’m feeling weak
and my pain walks down a one way street
I look above
and I know ill always be blessed with love
and as the feeling grows
she breathes flesh to my bones
and when love is dead
I’m loving angels instead

and through it all she offers me protection
a lot of love and affection
whether I’m right or wrong
and down the waterfall
wherever it may take me
I know that life wont break me
when I come to call she wont forsake me
I’m loving angels instead

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Top 10 ways to know when the economy is stagnating

A lovely article from CS Monitor. Enjoy~
Top 10 ways to know when the economy is really bad

10. The White House trades in the presidential limo for a Toyota Prius.

9. You climb into your car, but then decide, "Shucks, it's only five miles. I'll walk."

8. Home heating oil gets so expensive that Al Gore moves into a one-bath bungalow.

7. Your neighbor digs up his backyard to grow corn to make ethanol.

6. Food costs so much that news reports start talking about underweight Americans.

5. The president of ExxonMobil starts commuting to work on a Segway.

4. Your favorite "half-gallon" containers of ice cream shrink to 1.5 quarts. (Oops, that already happened!)

3. US taxi companies replace their cars with pedicabs.

2. Congress votes to pay itself in zlotys.

1. Service stations start selling gas by the pint.
It's yet to be proven, but a high price in gasoline would probably mean fewer obese North Americans! :)

Thursday, July 10, 2008

北京歡迎你, 是真是假?

中共的政治宣言, 真是無人可比, 是有始以來做得最完善, 最妥當, 最美好的傳播. 大陸貧富之差距大, 人權萎縮與迫壓, 環境污染嚴重. 但是中共不顧一切, 為了舉辦這奧運, 寧肯人民挨餓, 被限制, 還是要打腫臉充胖子, 以高額顧一幫群星, 唱這首"北京歡迎你." 說實在從北京中央的觀點來看, 它歡迎各個台灣同胞, 可是不歡迎中華民國政府. 不僅不歡迎, 還加迫抵制台灣在國際政壇的發展與溝通. 歡迎各個台灣同胞就是秤這奧運機會, 好好撈一筆台灣人的錢.



北京欢迎你 - 群星

作曲:小柯 填词:林夕

【陈天佳】迎接另一个晨曦 带来全新空气
【刘欢】气息改变情味不变 茶香飘满情谊
【那英】我家大门常打开 开放怀抱等你
【孙燕姿】拥抱过就有了默契 你会爱上这里
【孙悦】不管远近都是客人 请不用客气
【王力宏】相约好了再一起 我们欢迎你

【韩红】我家种着万年青 开放每段传奇
【周华健】为传统的土壤播种 为你留下回忆
【梁咏琪】陌生熟悉都是客人 请不用拘礼
【羽泉】第几次来没关系 有太多话题

【成龙】北京欢迎你 为你开天辟地
【任贤齐】流动中的魅力充满着朝气
【蔡依林】北京欢迎你 在太阳下分享呼吸
【孙楠】在黄土地刷新成绩

【周笔畅】我家大门常打开 开怀容纳天地
【韦唯】岁月绽放青春笑容 迎接这个日期
【黄晓明】天大地大都是朋友 请不用客气
【韩庚】画意诗情带笑意 只为等待你

【汪峰】北京欢迎你 像音乐感动你
【莫文蔚】让我们都加油去超越自己
【谭晶】北京欢迎你 有梦想谁都了不起
【陈奕迅】有勇气就会有奇迹
【阎维文】北京欢迎你 为你开天辟地
【戴玉强】流动中的魅力充满着朝气
【王霞.李双松】北京欢迎你 在太阳下分享呼吸
【廖昌永】在黄土地刷新成绩

【林依轮】北京欢迎你 像音乐感动你
【张娜拉】让我们都加油去超越自己
【林俊杰】北京欢迎你 有梦想谁都了不起
【阿杜】有勇气就会有奇迹

京剧:北京欢迎你呀

【容祖儿】我家大门常打开 开放怀抱等你
【李宇春】拥抱过就有了默契 你会爱上这里
【黄大炜】不管远近都是客人 请不用客气
【陈坤】相约好了再一起 我们欢迎你

【谢霆锋】北京欢迎你 为你开天辟地
【韩磊】流动中的魅力充满着朝气
【徐若瑄】北京欢迎你 在太阳下分享呼吸
【费翔】在黄土地刷新成绩

【汤灿】我家大门常打开 开怀容纳天地
【林志玲.张梓琳】岁月绽放青春笑容 迎接这个日期
【张靓颖】天大地大都是朋友 请不用客气
【许茹芸.伍思凯】画意诗情带笑意 只为等待你

【杨坤.范玮琪】北京欢迎你 像音乐感动你
【游鸿明.周晓欧】让我们都加油去超越自己
【沙宝亮.满文军】北京欢迎你 有梦想谁都了不起
【金海心.何润东】有勇气就会有奇迹

【飞儿.庞龙】北京欢迎你 为你开天辟地
【吴克群.齐峰】流动中的魅力充满着朝气
【5566.胡彦斌】北京欢迎你 在太阳下分享呼吸
【郑希怡.刀郎】在黄土地刷新成绩

【纪敏加.屠洪刚.吴彤】北京欢迎你 像音乐感动你
【郭容.刘耕宏.腾格尔】让我们都加油去超越自己
【金莎.苏醒.韦嘉】北京欢迎你 有梦想谁都了不起
【付丽珊.黄征.房祖名】有勇气就会有奇迹

【全体】北京欢迎你 有梦想谁都了不起
【全体】有勇气就会有奇迹
【全体】北京欢迎你 有梦想谁都了不起
【全体】有勇气就会有奇迹

试听

Monday, July 07, 2008

對的人

多美的歌詞, 多美的音樂, 可惜視頻差了點. 希望那一天對的人會即將來臨~ :P



歌名:對的人

作詞:姚謙
作曲:Keith Stuart
編曲:Keith Stuart
演唱:戴愛玲/本多Ruru

前奏的口白:

あのときのわたしは ずっとかんがえてだ
那時候的我一直在想 到底依賴和戀愛有什麼不同
もしも...
如果 過去一切的一切 都是我的錯覺
那過去 也為免太真實了吧!


你問在我心中 是否還苦惱 那次受傷 否決了愛的好
謝謝你的關照 我一切都好 一個人 不算困擾
愛雖然很美妙 卻不能為了寂寞 又陷了泥沼

愛要耐心等待 仔細尋找 感覺很重要
寧可空白了手 等候一次 真心的擁抱
我相信在這個世界上 一定會遇到 對的人出現 在眼角

那次流過的淚 讓我學習到 如何祝福 如何轉身不要
在眼淚體會到 與自己擁抱 愛不是一種需要 是一種對照
愛雖然很美妙 卻不能為了寂寞 又陷了泥沼

愛要耐心等待 仔細尋找 感覺很重要
寧可空白了手 等候一次 真心的擁抱
我相信在這個世界上 一定會遇到 對的人出現

誰願意為了一份愛付出去多少 然後得到多少並不計較
當我想清楚了時候 我就算已經準備好
放手去愛 海闊天高 oh~~ya~~

愛要耐心等待 仔細尋找 感覺很重要
寧可空白了手 等候一次 真心的擁抱
我相信這世界上 一定會遇到 對的人出現

愛要耐心等待 仔細尋找 感覺很重要
寧可空白了手 等候一次 真心的擁抱
我相信在這個世界上 一定會遇到 對的人出現

後面口白:

在一個人最徬徨的時候
謝謝你給我安慰
那對寂寞的人來說是一件多麼重要的一件事...

視聽

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Reparing the rift, who benefits, who doesn't?

The rift between Taiwan and China, a long division since the Kuomintang withdrawn to Taiwan in 1949, is a stark reminder of the different entities governing on either sides of the Formosa Strait. Albeit the subtle ancestral similarities, Mainland Chinese and Taiwanese Chinese are drastically different in all aspects - language, cuisine, culture, religion, thought, life and tradition - due to the diverging path both undertook when a nation split after the 1949 Civil War. Although supposedly "liberated" by the Communist regime, the Mainland Chinese had to endure the horrible mismanagement and the entire episode of the infamous Cultural Revolution. Pitted against starvation and the prospect of the survival of the fittest, mistrust amongst the Mainland Chinese grew, eclipsing all friendship, family, brotherhood and collegial relationship, and became a widely acceptable etiquette even to this day. On the surface, it seems collaboration between comrades would ensure an everlasting ruling party. However, the love for the party outweighs all personal bond when it comes sharing secrets, and whistle blowing deemed an effective remedy against any anomaly inappropriate to the model citizenry. Atheism, brought forth by the Marxist doctrine, not only increase the alienation between neighbors, siblings, relatives and partners but also instinctively approves the notion of being fearless. A fearless mind, infused with greed, disposes all conscience, dignity and remorse to become the ultimate motive of the elite few, given them the self reassurance to exploit the people and its environment to meet their million-dollar agenda.

Taiwan, in contrast, enjoyed a streak of positive developments and a warm integration with the Chinese culture brought forth by the retreating Kuomintang. Although dispute between Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese often arose, a compromise was often reached long before it would escalate into something more serious. To elevate the economy, Chiang Kai-shek's successor, Chiang Ching-kuo, oversaw the construction of the ten most important infrastructures in Taiwan. Thereby propelling Taiwan's economy to an unprecedented growth, surpassing that of post-Cultural Revolution China, to become one of the four economic powerhouse of Asia. Unfortunately, the economic dominance felled apart in the late nineties and further disintegrated during the eight-year tenure of Chen Shui-bian, which saw the growing disparity of firms outsourcing to China, leaving few or no job opportunities behind. This unilateral form of exchange, coupled with inflation, brought economy to a stagnating halt, prompting investors a desperate search of a new leeway to income. Fortunately, the March 22 presidential election opened up a new chapter in Taiwan in the form of both new economy development and reconciliation between the two states across the Taiwan Strait. Economy development, in the form of open tourism for Mainland Chinese, will for sure alleviate the stagnating slowdown. However, with ample restrictions, government sanctions, high cost and a countable number of travel agencies, it is not hard to imagine the main beneficiaries behind this historical partnership.

Being a Taiwanese myself, I sincerely hope that the partnership would progress into a peaceful resolution, benefiting people living on both sides, and stabilizing a region long divided by the different political ideology. Let's hope the warm hospitality native to Taiwan would melt the icy frost of a paranoia Marxist-Leninist China, so one day true democracy may dawn for the people of a unified China.

Peace to all! :)