Wednesday, June 28, 2006

The Lust of Politics : Mass Movement        政治最情欲的一面:群眾運動

The experience of mass movement participation makes me gradually accept a point: politics, especially political mass movement is almost the same with the essence of lust.

In the acme of lust, one loses his consciousness about self-boundary and throws oneself into the one, and the only one common experience of orgasm of human. It may be called the absoluteness of lust. One in the political mass movement attaches himself to a slogan. While everyone attaches to it, the acclaimation of the slogan becomes a common mass experience. At the highest point, self-boundary consciousness of everyone dissipates in the incantatory slogan and people achieve the ecstasy state of orgasm. In biology, terrestrial creature rarely achieve orgasm in synch contrary to amphibia or aquatics. However, the political mass movement turns human into coral, which could achieve synchronized orgasm in mass scale. The slogans shouted by the people are like the sperm and eggs ejaculated by the coral. It is a miracle of sex evolution.

Lust also follows the law of Diminishing Marginal Utility. Therefore, there are two results of the great emptiness after the orgasm. Resorting to more radical measure to achieve the same utility of previous orgasm or the ebb of lust. In political mass movement, Cultural Revolution in China is the former. The pursuit of orgasm at mass movement is beyond the right or wrong of the slogans. Ultimately, it is the endless of killing. Because the smell of blood could bring human the primary satisfaction and excitement. People Power in Philippines is the later. What kind the mass movement in Taiwan now for the recall of President Chen Shui-bian is? I think it's more like the People Power in which the Philippino failed to recall the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo allegedly involving in the reelection maneuver. The passion for mass movement in Taiwan is not so strong as 1980s and 1990s. Neither is the Peopl Power now comparing with it that caused Ferdinand Marcos to be exiled 20 years ago. Though no passion anymore, I believe most people are calmer to support or oppose Chen Shui-bian. This may not be a bad thing. After all, too much passion and too many slogans really deprive one's judgement and thinking.

參與群眾運動的經歷使我漸漸接受這個說法:政治,特別是政治中的群眾運動,最接近情欲的本質。

在情欲的最高點,一個人會失去自身邊界的意識,並投入一個,且是唯一一個人類共同的高潮體驗,這可以稱為情欲的絕對性。在政治群眾運動中,個人會附著於一個口號上,當所有人附著於其上時,口號的呼求就成為一個共同的群體體驗。在最高點的時候,每一個人的自身邊界意識就消融在咒語般的口號中,並達到高潮的狂喜狀態。就生物學而言,陸生動物不能像水生及兩棲類動物可以同步高潮,可是政治群眾運動將人類轉變成為可以集體同步高潮的珊瑚蟲,群眾喊出的口號就像珊瑚集體排出的精子及卵。這可以說是性演化上的奇蹟。

情欲也服從邊際效用遞減律,因此在面對高潮後的巨大空虛有兩種結果,一是訴諸於更激進的方式以達到以往高潮同樣的效用,或是情欲的衰退。在政治群眾運動中,中國的文化大革命是前者,對運動高潮的追求超越口號的是非對錯,最終則是不停的殺人見血,因為血液的腥味才能帶給人最原始的滿足及快感;菲律賓的人民力量是後者,而我們台灣罷免陳水扁的群眾運動,我想是比較像後者,現在菲律賓的人民力量無法使涉嫌操做選舉的艾若育總統下台。台灣人對群眾運動的熱情已不如80及90年代,同樣菲律賓的人民力量也不如二十年前可以讓馬可仕流亡海外。雖然失去熱情,我相信大部份民眾更為冷靜地支持或反對陳水扁,這未嘗不是件壞事,畢竟過多的熱情及口號實在太剝奪人們的思考和判斷。

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

FaxZero to U.S. and Canada

Fax to U.S. and Canada without charge! I fax a Word file to U.S. through it and everything is fine in the process of my application. PDF file is ok. Though it would contain a commercial page and have a limit of 3 pages each time. I still think it's useful. Next time you have to fax to U.S. or Canada, don't forget it.

傳真到美國及加拿大不用錢,由於申請手續的緣故,我傳了一個Word檔,結果一切ok!讚到不行,PDF檔也ok!雖然它會傳一頁廣告還有一次三張的限制,但我還是認為挺有用的,下次要傳真到美國或加拿大,請別忘記它!

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

The Engineers Talking in Mandarin.

Once I worked at AUO, which is the liquid crystal display manufacturer in Taiwan, I was responsible for a batch of penals running through a specific section of process. However, the machine system was not totally automatic yet. So I call a japanese engineer who accompanied with a translator and an American Engineer responsible for a kind of moving loader. Guess what language we used? Mandarin.

At that moment, I wonder if the era of Mandarin is coming. So many years of learning English, I never imagine that I don't have to say an English alphabet at a group of foreign engineers. The current issue of Time Asia reveals the trend of learing Mandarin with the rise of China. I suggest the Taiwan Minister of Education, Tu Cheng-sheng, to read about it. I hope it would be helpful to many children who are cramming up the arcane symbols of Taiwanese.

當我還在友達時,一次我要帶一批面板過一個製程,由於該段尚未完全自動化,所以我就請來該段的日本工程師及翻譯,還有一個負責面板載具的美國工程師,猜猜看我們說的是什麼話?中文。

當下,我在想中文的時代是不是要來臨了,學了英文這麼多年,我從未想過在外國工程師中可以不用說一個英文字。本期的亞洲版時代週刊報導在伴隨中國崛起的中文學習潮,我建議教育部長杜正勝可以看一看,我希望對啃著艱澀台語符號的小朋友有所幫助。

Monday, June 19, 2006

Political and Diplomatic Odyssey: Madam Secretary : A Memoir

A woman, a not pretty woman, a divorced woman, a woman having grandchildren, and a woman whose birth place is Czech had power second to the President of the United States. As a Secretary of State, she said herself may be not smart but work very hard. I think she is too humble. In the bloody power struggle of Capitol Hill, it takes more than hard word. It takes wisdom.

However, no matter how wise she is, it does not equal she leaves no controversy during her service of Secretary of State. This memoir could be viewed as her self-defense. I think the bi-standard policy toward Kosovo and Chechen is the most serious stigma of her work. The United States desperately fired missiles to Serbian in the name of stopping genocide to Albanian. However, it is also the United States that remained silent while the Russian tanks drove over the bodies of the Chechen people. In the memoir, Albright does not provide a clear explanation about it. It reveals that interest, not human right, is everything in the diplomacy of the United States.

The life journey of Madeleine Albright is an odyssey. From the memoir, we can learn not only about the way of diplomacy work, or what the Secretary of State does but also the history since World War Two, especially the European history and Cold War in "American version". She is a good storyteller, and you won't be bored.

Author: Madeleine Albright
Publisher: Miramax Books
Publish Date: September 16, 2003
ISBN: 0786868430

Sunday, June 18, 2006

ATB: Long Way Home


This DJ from Germany is famous for his versatile style of trance music. He definitely pushs melodic trance up to a brand new level and revolutionize this genre. In 2005, he went further globalized by opening up the American market and had a series of world tour including China. I have noticed him since 2002 and it is great to hear ATB was ranked in the Top 10 DJ last year. ATB's music is not lonely.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Nintendo Wii


這款較血腥的遊戲任天堂很少出,或許必須迎合市場需求吧。任天堂新一款的遊戲機和Sony及Microsoft最大不同之處是人機介面的操控裝置,聽說很容易上手,因為打網球的遊戲,你就得拿著遙控器揮拍,釣魚的遊戲,你得拿著它甩桿,遙控器可以感知人體動作,任天堂立志降低玩遊戲的門檻,號稱要老少通吃。這是任天堂的藍海策略,很有意思。

The bloody game is not Nintendo's usual style. Maybe Nintendo has to compromise with the game market. The greatest difference of Nintendo's console to that of Sony and Microsoft is the remote, the interface between the user and the console could sense the motion of the user. Therefore, if you play a tennis game, you have to swing the remote as a rocket. In a fishing game, you have to swing it as a fishing rod. Nintendo's ambition is to lower the barrier of playing a video game for everyone from young to old. This is the blue ocean strategy of Nintendo, and it is fun.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Game Theory: 博弈論--戰略分析入門

The non-technical introduction to Game Theory means no daunting and perplexing mathematics that is the eccential tool at the analysis in Game Theory. The author resorts to instintive way to present the theory, so you could get the basic ideas of it very quickly.

This book may be the one most worth reading to me in the first half of this year. It's "cool". In my definition, the book I would call it cool is a book that will revolutionize my view toward the world. Game Theory not only could be used in the economical field but also biology, etc. You will recognize how powerful and ubiquitous the theory is. Read it, and you won't regret at all.

作者排除令人卻步的數學分析,而訴諸於直觀的方式來介紹博弈論,可以使讀者很快地掌握基本的概念。

這本書或許是我上半年最值得讀的一本,我認為這是一本”好”書,一本書之所以好是因為可以改變我對這個世界的看法。博奕論不只應用於經濟學,甚至在生物學等領域都可以應用,你將認識到博奕論的力量及普遍性,讀後絕不會使你後悔。

Game Theory: A Non-Technical Introduction to the Analysis of Strategy.
Author: Roger A. McCain
Publisher: South-Western College Pub
Publish Date: September 17, 2003
ISBN: 0324175728

博弈論--戰略分析入門
Translator: 原毅軍 陳艷瑩 張國峰
Publisher: 機械工業出版社,北京
Publish Date: May, 2006
ISBN: 7111186443

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

市井香港:更暖的地方

香港的暖,暖在有機會選擇善良,選擇看得見。
-胡燕青

之前貼了香港巴士大叔的影片,覺得對香港並不怎麼公平,就平衡角度的立場,我要介紹這本書,是一個在地的香港人寫的香港

我是一個外人,香港的國際化令我印象深刻,半島酒店的華麗,彌敦道上銀樓的仁丹鬍印度守門人,天星碼頭賣的New York Time、泰文報及Die Welt德文報,東南亞的小吃,還有中環的國際商業氣息。最震撼我的是一個精神異常的男人,看起來是個落魄的流浪漢,在渡輪上不停地咀咒別人,可是我仔細一聽,他居然是操著一口美式英語,流利的不得了,實在讓我汗顏。這是我眼中的香港,就像香港的加薑可樂一樣,中西混雜,有著難以言喻的味道與風情。

胡燕青的香港是市井街頭的一面,她的文字活潑靈動,好的不得了,香港就在她的字裡行間中活了起來,呈現我們外人看不到的一面。她以香港的街道為主軸,串起了她自小成長中的香港人,香港樓,香港事,你會知道香港除了維多利亞港及巴士大叔之外,還有生龍活虎基層港人,Hong Kong在她的筆下跳脫了風景明信片的呆板,立體化了起來,還有濃濃的人情味。

臺灣人會注意到香港,主要是它的經濟面,像中國銀行、臺灣企業在港集資上市,恆生指數又創新高等等,其實香港不僅經濟穩健成長,它的政治面也有超越臺灣之勢。

香港在年初,第三勢力組了黨-公民黨,香港人及其菁英份子意識到,香港的民主黨像極了臺灣的民進黨,很會喊口號及搞群眾運動,六四之後的民主黨除了反對執政當局及親共的民建聯外,實在沒什麼建樹,所以菁英份子就在2006年初組成公民黨,爭取特首普選及市民政治,除了喊出香港願景外,更提出務實的政見,不和北京搞對抗,力求與北京維持和平對話,熊彼得的菁英民主理論在香港發揮的淋漓盡致,香港民眾也願意抛棄仇中的意識形態,轉而支持公民黨務實的態度。黨魁余若薇更有與現任特首曾蔭權一決勝負之勢,香港的民主和臺灣比起來,可謂後發先至。

國民黨出了馬英九及郝龍斌這種投機份子,沒希望。而民進黨始終陷入無法轉型的困境,好比京劇與觀眾彼此制約模式一樣,觀眾跟著台上唱,京戲的角兒搞點變化都不行,這叫違背老祖宗的傳統,而這批觀眾是原始京劇培養出來的,因此彼此就這麼相互制約,沒完沒了。民進黨是台上的角兒,觀眾是中南部有省藉情結的草根族群,民進黨陷入了自己原始炮製出的觀眾,已無法自拔。臺灣人就這麼陷入藍綠的二元思維,所以簡錫堦解散泛紫聯盟後,是否能像香港公民黨走出一條路,實在希望渺茫。

臺灣的冷,冷在選擇仇恨,選擇看不見。

作者:胡燕青
出版社:牛津大學
出版日期:2006年03月01日
ISBN:0195964977

Monday, June 12, 2006

愛情的壓抑、追尋與錯過:蓮花

紀善生,是故事的男主角,自小失去父親,母親對他寄予出人頭的希望成為他背上的十字架,因此他努力念書進名校,工作時按著趙建銘模式娶了老闆的女兒,他相信自己總有一天會愛上這個女人,這是紀善生的一面。另一面,他是叛逆的,是壓抑的,他年少時與受爭議的女同學蘇內河要好,之所以受爭議是因她特立獨行,還搞師生戀,自己身受墮胎之苦,男方也家破人亡。蘇內河自我方逐,浪跡生涯,永遠按著自我意志而活,最後落居於西藏墨脫這個世外桃源。按作者之言,紀善生與蘇內河如同來自同一條源頭的支流,各自蜿蜓前行。

紀善生的意志不能使自己愛上老闆的千金,離婚成為日益疏離的結局,由於紀善生的自我壓抑及對內心真正愛情的否認,封閉內心真正的世界,第二任妻子自殺是看穿得不到紀善生的愛,她的死使紀善生踏上追尋年輕時那段青澀、受壓抑,遭否認的情,他前往西藏墨脫。

紀善生追尋的不僅是蘇內河,不僅是愛情,在西藏與世隔絕的天地間,他的旅途猶如朝聖之旅,朝聖者尋求宗教的求贖,紀善生則是尋求到自己。男女主角最終沒有相遇,因為在紀善生抵達之前,蘇內河已死於墨脫。

我想如果我還是十幾歲或二十出頭的話,我可能會喜歡這本小說,因為年輕人總還是會對小說中不顧一切的愛情持肯定的態度,不過江湖老了我一點,這種愛情的存在我不否認,但實際上愛情充滿著條件,交易式的愛情或各玩各的婚姻才是普遍的現象,就算最單純的愛情,往往難以通過現實的考驗。作者以女主角的死亡,排除處理實際愛情的問題,使一椿年少錯過的愛,停格在永遠的遺憾,遺憾的愛情才是最美的愛情。作者這一招雖然聰明,但我不會給予好的評價,因為閃避處理現實的文學是膚淺的。

作者:安妮寶貝
出版社:作家出版社
出版日期:2006年3月
ISBN:7506335867

價值共識與法律合意

這本是北大法學文存五卷中的第一卷,書名只是第一篇文章名稱而已,其餘內容包含法哲學、法理學、法社會學及法學教育探討的文章集。

本書有15篇文章,只有一篇是對西方英美走資法律思想進行批判,其餘的文章,大量引用英美法的思想,特別是法哲學,更充滿濃濃的西方自由主義人文思想。顯然北京大學的魅力不在於它黃土土的校園,而是在於其兼容並蓄的思想,還有由自主義的人文氣息。



北京大学法学院編
出版社:法律出版社
出版日期:2002年6月1日
ISBN:7503638265

Sunday, June 11, 2006

好書不應該寂寞:思想的求索

功利主義盛行的社會中,一個不怎麼功利傾向的季刊的發行,相當難得。結合兩岸三地的知識份子,基於批判的精神,審視當代的社會及世界。批判中有人文的寛厚及關懷,反思中有思想的求索與進步。

作者:思想編輯委員會
出版社:聯經出版公司
出版日期:2006 年 03 月 27 日
ISBN:9570829818

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

港味十足


有人說,這個短片道盡香港人的性格,沒理的駡得最大聲,有理的是逆來順受,其它的人就像拍攝者一樣,只是在旁當個觀眾,我想或許不見得每個香港人都是如此吧。這個短片聽說很火,或許可以有許多社會學的說法來論述一番,但直覺上,這個巴士大叔連珠砲的幹譙實在港味十足,可能很多人會認為這很有意思吧。

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Google Spreadsheets

Google本週推出立志要打敗Excel的線上服務Spreadsheets,想試用者可以按這裡註冊。
雖然Google聲稱只提供有限試用人數,但以申請Google Homepage服務的經驗來說,有註冊應該就不會被拒絶,這項服務可以在Google Labs申請,Google Homepage強調所見即所得的網頁編輯,還不賴。

Sunday, June 04, 2006

摸論和貓論的初探:中國貨幣政策有效性研究

對一個要轉軌至市場經濟的空前龐大計劃經濟體,貨幣政策是改革過程中的核心問題,特別在市場不發達,對市場欠缺控制手段下,貨幣政策對市場的影響更顯得重要。

由於前無來者,改革開放的精神指導是鄧小平的摸論(摸著石頭過河)及貓論,因此師法西方資本主義下的貨幣及總體經濟理論指導中國的貨幣政策。本書各個討論的面向由深入淺出的西方貨幣理論開頭,再陳述中國的市場國情,說明1980-2002貨幣政策出台的原因,同時以不艱澀的數學模型討論政策的得失及箇中原因,相當系統的介紹中國貨幣政策的概況及”有效性”的問題。這本書的主編是黃達,他的貨幣銀行學也寫的不錯,基本上中國人民大學的財金書籍具有一定水準,值得一看。

貨幣政策最核心的目標是保持低定的通貨膨脹,同時促進潜在產出最大化(低失業率是其中一項指標),不過愈低的失業率會造成通貨膨脹的上升,而美國聯儲會前主席Alan Greenspan在90年代確維持低通膨低失業率水準,這奠定他江湖一哥的地位。這位老謀深算的傢伙,對於聯準會的政策總是說得不清不楚,讓市場對他的解讀多空分歧,他的繼位者Ben Bernanke就曾對他的風格多所批判,結果上個月他的失言(在國會聽證會表明結束貨幣緊縮政策,而在記者的私下訪問確説市場解讀錯誤),正是他的坦然引發市場過度反映,導致五月初全球股市重挫,本來看空下半年日本的我,計劃於五月下旬賣出日本基金,結果就失血,這筆帳要算在他頭上。

中國的貨幣政策受到金融制度及結構不夠開放的影響,有時力不從心。像中國在實施管制浮動匯率以前的固定匯率制,隨著外匯的增加形成利率上漲的壓力,想壓下利率就提高貨幣供給,但會造成通貨膨脹,如果不壓低利率,熱錢就由流入中國市場,進一步推升利率,因此後來棄守釘住美元轉為有限制性的浮動匯率政策是必然的結果。

講到這裡就令人難過了,在2003,根據我所看到的報導,中國外匯的增長及加入WTO下,中國在2008年以前必然放鬆外匯管制,人民幣肯定破8,轉眼間破8是上個月的事了,可惜的是,我們臺灣一般小老百姓,不能像香港民眾把手中的錢轉成人民幣,從中國經濟起飛中得到好處,政府的阻撓擋的不是大戶,而是小老百姓的財路。陳水扁的治國邏輯是迪士尼式的邏輯,臺灣是拚經濟和愛臺灣口號滿天飛的樂園,把臺灣以外的國際現實統統摒除在外,陳水扁成為金光閃閃的米老鼠,一般民眾苦哈哈,看到”已開發國家”的新加坡,居然有9%的經濟成長率,我實在有欲哭無淚的感覺。

作者:汪紅駒
出版社:中國人民大學出版社
出版日期:2003-05
ISBN:7-300-04592-8

Saturday, June 03, 2006

0.99 美元 = iPod 一首歌 = MP3Sugar 一張專輯

2001年去俄國時,發現那裡是盜版西洋專輯的天堂,現在的俄國還是個mp3超便宜下載的好地方,一首歌只要0.1美元,一張專輯只要0.99美元,看來俄國人做起無本生意比中國人還狠。