Everyone knows the law of diminish of return from high school economics textbook. How come the writer sounds like they have discover something now. The more money you have, you will need even more money to give you the same happiness. It’s like exercise, you are happy the the first time you swim 50m non-stop, but if you are contented, you will never about to swim 1500m.
Monthly Archives: July 2010
WordPress 3.0
I am using WordPress for my blog. WordPress just released 3.0 Last month. I have been putting the upgrade on hold for a while since I was too busy at work and at home. I finally have some time to backup the database, the blog installation directory and upgrade my WordPress installation.
It is a push-button upgrade. New version is downloaded and installed in my server without any trouble. Except the Easy Adsense plug-in seems keep corrupting my layout. Everything works fine after I disable that plug-in. WordPress 3.0 is not much difference from 2.9.x on the surface. The only new feature that I use is get the short link button. I am using a custom theme, so the new 2010 them with configurable header image and background is none of my concern. The new custom taxonomies feature is very powerful, especially creating page with different page types, but I don’t see any use in my blog. I have got around to setup the new custom menu feature. I am using pages as my menu and I am not planning for a change.
I upgraded my Atahualpa to the last version which works with WordPress 3.0. I spent a few minutes cleaning up how pictures is displayed in the sidebar. I setup different sidebars in the posts than the one used in the front pages. The major change is adding the series plug-in. This plug-in groups multiple posts into a series and insert series navigation links in the posts and in the sidebar. I uninstalled the twitter plug-in, since I don’t really use twitter.
I think my blog is up to date and pretty good for now. I don’t have plan for any major upgrade in near future.
Plants vs Zombies
讀書時代我是標準的電腦遊戲迷﹐可以通宵達旦不眠打機﹐連續曉課兩星期只為求過關爆機。現在年人老了時間越來越少﹐加上家中的電腦己多年前買的古舊機﹐聽歌看戲上網還勉強可以﹐但應付不對最新遊戲的硬件需求﹐讓我早已遠離電腦遊戲的世界。想不到最近我卻沉迷上《植物大戰喪屍》這個小遊戲﹐讓我重拾當年打機打到天昏地暗的樂趣。
《植物大戰喪屍》的遊戲十分簡單﹐每關只有一個平面畫面﹐完全不需要強勁的繪圖卡﹐可是卻令我嚴重上癮。遊戲一關接一關地玩下去﹐要打完全部關數才能夠放低下來。遊戲內容一如其名﹐玩家用植物去保衛家園﹐對抗入侵的喪屍。喪屍從畫面右邊出場﹐一路向前移動﹐玩家要在屋前的花園用植物佈防﹐去消滅沿沿不絕來犯的喪屍。這是一個很傳統的策略遊戲﹐不同植物有不用攻擊或防禦能力﹐玩家必需作出適當配合﹐去抵抗各類不同喪屍。若果喪屍安全抵達家門便game over﹐遊戲會出播一聲慘叫﹐打出字幕說喪屍吃掉玩家的腦袋。
遊戲畫面
遊戲有三個場地分日與夜總共六版﹐開始時要保衛前園﹐接下來要是有游泳池的後園﹐最後是要用花盆才能種植物的屋頂。日間與晚上有不同喪屍出沒﹐關數越高喪屍能力越強﹐不過玩家殺死喪屍可以贏取金幣﹐用來購買新品種的植物增加兵力。這個遊戲十分耐玩﹐除了過關的故事模式外﹐還有很多從主遊戲變化衍生的小遊戲﹐可以贏取額外的金幣。故事模式的主遊戲不難玩﹐很王道的佈重兵以軍力取腦便萬無一失﹐被喪屍溜進屋吃掉腦袋﹐也只是自己大意不小心。有些小遊戲可很傷腦筋考智力﹐要像解謎般明白那關喪屍的特性﹐再針對其弱點挑選相剋的植物組合配搭﹐才可以順便過關。最有趣的小遊戲是角式倒轉﹐玩家要控制喪屍﹐敵人變成了植物。
經過一個多星期的努力﹐在工作外差不多所有時間供獻了給這遊戲﹐我終於打爆機完成所有關數和小遊戲。不過遊戲並不是就此完結﹐玩家還可以再次挑戰故事模式和所有小遊戲﹐電腦也會隨著局數增加喪屍的難度。其實遊戲不一定要大製作才好玩﹐有時候很簡單的遊戲也會有讓人著魔的魅力。
Chess Analysis #1
Inspired by my friend’s blog, I joined chess.com in Facebook. I played a few blitz games with random people online. I found playing live human is more fun than playing computer because computer does not make blunder moves. My record is straight lost so far, this is the closest game that I have very a good chance to win. I lost the game from a very stupid blunder. I am playing black
[pgn]
[Event “Live Chess”]
[Site “Chess.com”]
[Date “2010.07.25”]
[White “aligray”]
[Black “hevangel”]
[Result “1-0”]
[WhiteElo “1002”]
[BlackElo “1058”]
[TimeControl “100|0”]
[Termination “aligray won by resignation”]
1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 d6 4.d4 e5 5.d5 Ne7 6.Nb5 Bd7 7.Be3 c6 8.Nxa7 cxd5 9.Ng5 d4 10.Bc4 Be6
11.Bb5+ Bd7 12.Bd2 Bxb5 13.Nxb5 h6 14.Nf3 Nxe4 15.Qe2 Nxd2 16.Qxd2 Qa5 17.Qxa5 Rxa5 18.Nc7+ Kd7 19.b4 Ra8 20.Nb5 Nc6
21.a3 Be7 22.O-O f5 23.Rad1 Bf6 24.c3 g5 25.g3 g4 26.Nh4 Bxh4 27.gxh4 Rhg8 28.c4 f4 29.c5 dxc5 30.bxc5 g3
31.f3 Ke6 32.Nc7+ Kf5 33.Nxa8 Rxa8 34.Ra1 Re8 35.a4 e4 36.a5 e3 37.a6 Na7 38.axb7 e2 39.Rfb1 Nc6 40.Ra8 Rxa8
41.bxa8=Q
[/pgn]
1.e4 Nc6
I did not use the standard response to king pawn opening. Just want to try something new.
2.Nf3 Nf6
White did not push queen pawn as expected. I made a bad move. Knight is exposed to the pawn in f6. If the white pawn push to f5, it will be protected by the Knight
3.Nc3 d6
White develop the other Knight. I moved the queen pawn to clear the way for the bishop
4.d4 e5
White push queen pawn. I push king pawn to invite a gambit.
5.d5 Ne7
White pushed the queen pawn and eying at my Knight. I lost a tempo by retreat the Knight.
6.Nb5 Bd7
White push a lone Knight. I move the Bishop to chase it
7.Be3 c6
White push bishop to target a1. I move pawn to c6 targeting d5. Actually moving b6 to protect against bishop is a better idea
8.Nxa7 cxd5
White take a1 with Knight. I would be in more trouble if he take c6 first or take a1 with a Bishop. His blunder allow me to exchanged a side pawn with a center pawn and his Knight is trapped by my Queen.
9.Ng5 d4
I wonder white try attack with the other Knight or merely put the Knight there to protect the e4 pawn. I should have move Knight to c6 and the white Knight is dead. Instead, I push my center pawn to pressure the white bishop and estimate the center. I think I opened more front line than I can handle.
10.Bc4 Be6
White Bishop attach f7, I protect it with a Bishop
11.Bb5+ Bd7
White Bishop check, I moved the Bishop to defense.
12.Bd2 Bxb5
White retreat the the e2 Bishop, I exchanged a Bishop with a Bishop. I should have exchange the Knights instead and move the side pawn to center.
13.Nxb5 h6
White Knight take my bishop and escaped. I moved h pawn to chase the other Knight away.
14.Nf3 Nxe4
White Knight retreat. I took the unprotected pawn in the middle with my Knight. Looks like I controlled the center board.
15.Qe2 Nxd2
White Queen chase my Knight. I exchanged the Knight with the Bishop.
16.Qxd2 Qa5
White finished the exchange, I initiated Queenexchange
17.Qxa5 Rxa5
White finished the exchange and my Rook is chasing the Knight.
18.Nc7+ Kd7
Knight check. My King moved away.
19.b4 Ra8
White push the Pawn to chase my Rook. I made a Blunder by moving the Rook to a8
20.Nb5 Nc6
White didn’t see my blunder and draw back the Knight. I have leave the Knight wandering around for too long. I should have plan about end game after the Queen exchange. I moved the Knight to threaten the unprotected b pawn.
21.a3 Be7
White move a pawn to protect b pawn. I moved Bishop to bring it to front line.
22.O-O f5
White castled. I moved the f pawn, but I should have moved the bishop to gain tempo.
23.Rad1 Bf6
Fire power is building up at d4
24.c3 g5
White moved the pawn to put more fire power at d4. I can’t exchange the c3 pawn or the Rook will have a check. I tried to match the other pawn to push forward
25.g3 g4
White can’t move away any firepower on d4, so he match the other pawn. I should have move away the King or invite a pawn exchange. But I try to chase away his Knight for no reason. In end game, the leading side should initiate exchange to widen the leadership.
26.Nh4 Bxh4
White seems to make a suicide move and I exchanged a Bishop for a Knight.
27.gxh4 Rhg8
White’s King defense is broken. Looks like I am going to win and I become careless. I wasted a move to use the Rook to pin the white King. I should have moved my King away from White’s Rook pin.
28.c4 f4
Both side matched pawns. Again I should chase away the White Knight.
29.c5 dxc5
White initiated exchange of pawns.
30.bxc5 g3
Finish the exchange and white now has 2 isolated pawns. I pushed the g pawn.
31.f3 Ke6
White push the f pawn pass my g pawn. I should have keep marching the g pawn. The g pawn is safe since it is protected by the Rook. Instead I moving my King and let Black fork my King and Castle. The tide is turned against me.
32.Nc7+ Kf5
White capitalize my blunder. I should have exchanged that Knight a long time ago.
33.Nxa8 Rxa8
Exchange of pieces
34.Ra1 Re8
White want to march the a pawn. I should keep marching the g pawn.
35.a4 e4
Why would I march the e pawn?
36.a5 e3
Keep marching.
37.a6 Na7
I am losing the march.
38.axb7 e2 39.Rfb1 Nc6 40.Ra8 Rxa8 41.bxa8=Q
I accept my fate and resign after the White got a Queen.
In Bruges 殺手沒有假期
《殺手沒有假期》是英國獨立製作的小本電影﹐榮獲多個歐洲電影節的最佳原創劇本獎項。兩個殺手去了比利時風光如畫的小鎮Bruges渡假﹐發生一齣荒謬絕倫的黑色幽默喜劇。看慣荷里活殺手片的朋友﹐看這套另類殺手電影時﹐請先調節心情﹐不要期望激裂戰槍的動作場面。殺手只不過是主角的身份﹐因殺手時常要面對死亡﹐正好藉著他們來看生與死。電影劇本的安排十分巧妙﹐下文會透露劇情﹐未看而打算看的朋友﹐為免影響欣賞電影時的驚喜﹐自行決定是否讀下去。
我看電影前只看過電影簡介﹐不知道故事內容﹐劇情出人意表地展開﹐讓我欣賞時另有一番樂趣。編劇在電影中埋下的伏筆一環扣一環﹐每一件事也有前因後果。上鐘樓觀光﹐在餐廳與遊客打架﹐打盲小混混﹐與侏儒結交朋友﹐先前埋下的種子﹐在結局時把每條線收網﹐把命運巧合地串連起來。電影圍繞三個殺手的恩怨情仇。一老一少兩個殺手因為任務中誤殺小男孩要著草。說每句話也要爆粗的殺手大佬﹐在執行家法處決執行任務失敗的年輕殺手之前﹐希望給他死前留下美好的回憶﹐送他們到比利時小鎮渡假。
電影中很多讓人仔細咀嚼的場面﹐片中人在面對生與死的嚴肅問題﹐可是觀眾看到卻有想笑的感覺。兩個殺手參觀博物館﹐看見中世紀描述地獄情景的名畫﹐說著他們以殺人為業與會否死後下地獄﹐還事有剎介很認真地為自己找理由開脫。老殺手接到任務要幹掉年輕殺手﹐在當準備開槍的那一刻﹐卻看見少輕殺手因為心靈受責準備自殺﹐結果很諷刺的殺人變救人。殺手大佬見老殺手狠不下心殺掉拍檔﹐唯有親自出馬﹐結果殺人變自殺﹐怎樣想也想不到電影會有這個結局。殺手大佬除了狂爆粗外﹐也不似一般殺手電影的壞人角色﹐看他搶白那個被年輕殺手打盲小混混﹐不惜自殺也要言出必行的高尚品格﹐倒讓我不禁佩服他是個人物。
殺手的工作是殺人﹐是因為工作需要﹐讓他們視人命如草芥﹐他們又會否同樣看自己的生命。如果一個殺手有有自殺傾向﹐這種對生命的態度會否令殺手特別容易自殺呢。