Struggles and Protests

Struggles and protests forge a nation's soul, awake people from that daily stupor, and free people from mundane constrains, to what really matters.

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A Nation's Architecture

A nation's soul presents itself in the visible and tangible form of architecture. A nation preserves its historical buildings because these buildings host its people's common memory, or history. A country that does not preserves its old buildings, is condemned to suffer from loss of memory, forgetting where they come from and which direction they should go.

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A Young Damsel

You see. This paradigm of a young damsel, letting go of every piece of her, looking for an near-impossible romance, and reflecting many, if not all, young ladies' heart, shows itself in arts and everywhere you look.


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Mothers, Beware

One particular strong drive behind a person's deed comes from stories. Stories chanted, stories remembered, and stories told all build an everlasting image or paradigm that people follow subconsciously.

What stories mothers tell decide what their children may follow or avoid. A story that all mothers tell to their children is a story that reflects common themes, fears or desires within a particular people.

A country without traditional stories, or paradigms, is a country subjected to the influences of other cultures. A country which could build their own fables and children's stories is a country that has its own soul.

Political emblems and all that ubiquitous propaganda vanish as soon as their masters are out of power simply because they're not true and faithful to the nation's heart and soul.

That soul, though intangible, has the power to revive a country after 2000 years of wondering. That soul, though seemingly vulnerable, makes a world of brave samurais and devoted mothers. That very soul dictates a nation's direction, and ultimately, its destiny.

Then, are there any children's stories that you still remember? Or, do you recall only what Disney Channel has been broadcasting? Mothers, beware of the stories you tell, for they may very well make up your children's character and destiny.

Sony ICF B03 and Philips (AE1120) 開箱文

商品的比較 Sony ICF B03 and Philips (AE1120)

----請看兩者設計上的用心程度: 電池蓋設計--一個是雙層防水半固定式；另一個是非固定式單層蓋,容易脫落,且電池糟內電池裝入後容易翹起。

Please note the difference between the battery covers. One is securely attached and the other comes off easily.

想問的是---PChome 是國內的大型購物網站,為何拿不到質精料美,價錢佳的貨品? Sony 這台,功能佳,設計貼心,附件多,(到手價格2120,內含抽佣500,快遞120; 附件有攜行繩/攜行袋/手機插座轉接器和連接線,甚至還附上一個黃色的求救口哨); 反觀 Philips的機子,單單價格就要2450!!! 圖中的攜行繩也不是它附贈的..........真心希望國內的購物公司,能真的替廣大的消費者多著想,多爭取好的產品和價格。

Household chore

國文古文選沒一篇文章有提，世界各地歷史文獻上也沒記載，洗碗，特別是冬天用手洗碗，真是.......TMD 千古萬難呀。

It is such a torture to do dishes "by hand" in this cold winter season.

政戰系統

政戰系統: 君子持之,護國之公器; 小人弄之, 逞個人私心之兇器。

記得有一回，打師對抗時，在山腳下挖陣地，抬頭聽到連長開玩笑的問輔導長,＂打仗時，輔仔，你手上的槍是對著誰?＂

手持干戈的軍人除了有保家衛國的使命/不斷的訓練和莒光日教育之外,其實身旁都有古稱"監軍",當今稱為"細胞"的政戰士官兵......

這些細胞，明的和大家是好朋友....可是私下真正的心態，完全是上級對下級的"管理和掌控" ..平時和你稱兄道弟，一臉笑容可掬地...可是背地裏，你可能袛是他的監視報告對象之一，袛是個業務項目。而你說的每一句怨言和家裏剛買的東西，都是他向上報告的內容。

報告內容往那兒去? 每個服役的士官兵，都有一個忠誠資料袋；這文件資料夾內,除了你自個兒寫的身家資料，其它一張張，都是別人針對你每一段時間，每一件重大事件的"觀察報告"。在職業軍人的昇遷調職中，"忠誠度"和"思想內容"都會被列入考核。可是，考核你的人是你看不到的，考核項目和分數，你也沒有申訴的管道。

另一種報告的結果，倒很明顯：晚點名就寢後，若晚上突然有急哨有口令，要人人下床，床前立正站好，接著連上某些幹部進來瘋狂的翻床翻內務櫃的搜東西，那是接到了報告，要找違禁品。這時，輔導長和政戰士，就會在這混亂中盯著找著他們的目標物。

輔導長和政戰士，是明的編制....細胞－或是政治作戰士兵，是暗的； 因為這回報內容裏,若有"實質收獲" 或是"配合得當",都會有獎勵 -- 榮譽假/獎金/記功等等...另有些"福利"，你我可能聽都沒聽過(退伍後的"無名"海外高額獎學金/有固定薪給的某某基金會"志工"--工作內容無外乎回報特定對象的情資等等).....重賞之下..這些細胞都很願意配合。

考核眾人的,卻沒有人可以制衡...獎金拿慣了,若沒獎金時? ......結果? 對岸就找到一個可以弄到真正機密文件資料,又是管保防的下手....當然也是用錢來買他的忠誠....

......也難怪,當初有名將挑明了說,不希望他部隊有這種事情這個編制....

.......誰言一朝天子一朝臣；呼誓漢賊不兩立?　
       君不見那顏色迭更替，六朝賢臣永帝寶。
       可憐馬革裹屍臣，誰見戰場丹心碧血情！

Gold and Youth

Both gold and youth are splendid and dazzling.
Yet, you can not buy youth with gold.


(For arts' sake, i took this artistic picture without its owner's consent. Mr. Ryan, please forgive my rudeness, for I couldn't find a better picture to match this statement.)— 與 Ryan Angkor 

＂無用物＂

記得國小時，曾有一回，某個富有又慈祥的鄰居順手給了我一個蠻精美的"無用物"。我歡天喜地的把它放在家中某個顯眼之處，就像是要向全天下人炫耀自己是一個多麼富有的小孩一樣。後來就跑出門找街坊玩伴玩耍去了，一整個下午的無憂無慮。返家後，發現那個美麗的＂無用物＂由原位消失了。原來是媽媽將它丟了，因為是舊的，是沒有用的，因為是華麗的，和家裏擺設格格不入的。就袛是一個打掃過程的必然結果。

而小孩如我，很不甘心的哭呀鬧的；好像一陣哭鬧後，結果會不一樣似的。

長大後，這些年，這旅途中也曾偶然看到精美動人的＂無用物＂；它們也不知如何的，就忽然出現，也忽然消失在生命中；＂無用物＂消失的那麼乾脆，那麼的無影無踪，那麼的無可挽回。但那被勾動的心弦，波動不止，時時刻刻提醒你，折磨著你－看呀！那些如果若能維持著，是件多麼美好的事情呀；你看，你錯失了什麼！假如你......

現在，知曉某些道理之後，看過不少別人的態度後，對這些偶而出現的＂無用物＂倒還蠻看的開的。心情調適的也快，一轉身就忘了，像個八九十歲的老頭兒，心無波瀾的繼續那日常的生活，那日常的動作。如此這般的平心靜氣，如此認命的活著。這算是一種成長還是認命的放手呢？

－－－－－－－－－－－－
照片中是一包裝精美的洋菇培養包，要給女兒當表現良好，故事朗讀比賽拿到佳作的獎勵的；另外一包培養包，順便回禮給常常拿二手童衣給我的同事，因為這些料好質美的小孩衣服，替我們家省了一筆開銷。謝謝。