Yearly Archives: 2008

書評

The Undercover Economist – Tim Harford

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Undercover Economist 每次去印度工幹總要逛書店﹐一來在印度工餘除了上網和閱讀外﹐沒有其他消遺娛樂﹐二來印度的英文書真的很便宜。印度生活指素低﹐出版商也特別印刷國際版﹐照顧落後國家的購買力。平裝書只售北美的一半價錢﹐若果是新書這邊只有精裝版﹐價錢相對起來更加便宜。當然印度英文書的種類不多﹐書店入貨只限大路暢銷書。我商業經濟的書架時看見了這本《臥底經濟學家》﹐印象中記得經濟學人雜誌的介紹﹐反正十分便宜於是便買了回來再算。原本它的命運與其他我未有時間看的書一樣﹐隨手被堆放在某一格書架上。豈料去大學書店買下學期的課本時﹐竟然給我重遇這本書。想不到一本通俗流行讀物﹐也可以做了一年級經濟學入門的課本。於是我在好奇心推使下﹐在書店隨手拿起來開了頭﹐結果回家便把它從書架翻出來啃完。

我大學時代讀過幾科經濟學﹐張五常那套經濟學書也看了幾遍﹐加上其他零星的經濟學課外讀物﹐《臥底經濟學家》一書裏面的知識﹐我應該全部懂得明白﹐當然記不記得是另一回事。這本書的經濟學深入淺出﹐沒有圖表沒有方程式﹐不過是基本的經濟定律﹐就足以讓我們理解處身的世界是如何運作。作者從火車站的咖啡店的價錢牌說起﹐討論供求問題和議價能力﹐解釋為什麼地主一定會加租。從超市商品價格的差異﹐討論供求彈性和格價的策略。用駕車帶來的塞車和污染來討論界外效應﹐而二手車市場和保險則討論資訊成本和資訊不對等。第六章理性的瘋狂是全書最精彩一章﹐講述在股市中每一個人作出理性選擇﹐但把他們作為一個群體綜合起來﹐結果就會變成的非理性選擇﹐投資股票時要切記這章的教訓。最後幾章講市場帶來價格訊息的重要﹐全球化的好處和窮國為什麼貧窮﹐而最後則以分析中國改革開放以來的經濟奇蹟作為全書終結。

與其他高談經濟學理論的書不同﹐這本書從現實中的現象出發﹐解釋我們身邊發生的事物為什麼會是這樣發生。作者是一個說故事的能手﹐他沒有一開始抬出經濟理論嚇死讀者﹐而是抽絲剝繭一步一步去推論﹐與讀者一起找出穩藏在事物背後的經濟定律。事中那些現實的例子很有趣﹐引起讀者想一探究竟的好奇心﹐亦幫助讀者把經濟理論牢記腦中。學懂了書中的經濟理論﹐像武林密笈的內功心法般﹐一理通百理明應用任何地方﹐可以自己他也當一個臥底經濟學家﹐分析日常社會現象的前因後果。像近期熱門的社會議題﹐如最低工資﹐的士減價﹐派消費卷等﹐若我們透過經濟學家的眼光去看﹐就不會只看到表面的民粹口號﹐而看到背後市場失衝的真正問題。

Daily Scribble

Writer’s block

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Many writers often develop writer’s block after they have been writing for a while. They found their creativity dries up, could not write even a single sentence. I have been writing blog for almost 3 years, recently I found I have a mild symptom of writer’s block. In some day, I just could not think of anything. I still write TV, anime and book reviews. Writing review is relatively easy, the theme is already there and I just have to write down what I think. Putting a topic to write is the difficult part. Well, it is not that I am less creative, rather hold myself to a have higher standard now. I don’t my writing merely repeating what others say. I want to make my own point of view that is original. The problem is that I seems to start repeating myself. What’s the point of saying the same thing of similar issues many times? Maybe I should shift the emphasis of my writing. Instead of always trying to come up with new ideas, I should be content with my old ideas and focus on refining my writing skill. The same idea can be present in many different ways, some are more efficient and elegant than others. I should explore different style of writing other random scribble. I think I have hit a plateau in my writing skill, in order to have progress, I should learn about more advance writing skills. Now, the question is where can I find those materials.

電視

家好月圓

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Moon Light Resonance 我原本沒有打算看《家好月圓》﹐我對上輯《溏沁風暴》沒有什麼好印象﹐曾經很努力地嘗試過看﹐結果因為實在太婆媽無聊﹐看了十多集便放棄了。豈不知早幾個星期在家中扭開電視﹐看到了今年無線的視帝視后頒獎禮﹐《家好月圓》的夏雨和米雪稱帝封后﹐於是好奇心推動下﹐便找套《家好月圓》來看看﹐那些老戲倌如何好戲。在沒有十分強烈的動力下﹐終於花個多星期把整套劇集﹐以快速跳播每十五分鐘看一集的速度挨完。若果把劇中的婆媽悶場略過不看﹐無視閒角的旁枝未線故事﹐單看主線發展還算不錯。

上輯《溏沁風暴》收視取得成功﹐大家族爭產的故事開正戲路﹐無線食過番尋味急急開拍第二輯。這輯繼續原班人馬演出﹐我很好奇編劇可以變出什麼新花樣。上次夏雨一屋二妻享齊人之福﹐今次開場時則拋棄糟糠二奶變正印。上次關菊英做二奶米雪做妹﹐今次兩人則互換角色。關菊英的Sa姨依然嘈喧巴閉很煩人﹐她想搞笑但不完全好笑﹐她的戲份我大半跳過不看。上集米雪已經飾演女強人﹐今集紅姨的形象更上一層樓﹐高跟鞋咯咯地嚮很有氣勢。其實我在看《溏沁風暴》時﹐已經奇怪米雪做妹為什麼成世黐著阿姐頭家﹐三個老旦中米雪保養得最好﹐怎看都應該與一家之主夏雨有路才正常﹐今集的人物關係設定正好解釋上集的疑問。與新舊狐狸精相比﹐李司棋好像已經被定形﹐荷媽的角色同大契差不多﹐演出只是恰如其份﹐缺乏新的突破。在今集的眾多角色中﹐最好看是演奶奶的李香琴﹐想不到一把年紀重出江湖﹐亦然不失當年歡樂今宵的風采。

無線劇集百份百翻炒婆媽公式﹐只看劇情簡介和人物關係圖﹐已經可以估到劇情發展十之九八。劇中人物可以隨故事需要﹐由忠變奸再變回好人﹐不需要伏筆不需要理由﹐為求扭橋扭出大團圓結局﹐就是編劇最好的解釋。倒是爭產官司的結果出人意表﹐紅姨辛辛苦苦打贏官司﹐把錢全部留給女兒。豈料女生外向心繫情郎﹐轉個頭把餅舖原銀奉還給Jo爸﹐當作自己迎婜管家仔的嫁粧。以前我常常投設無線長劇的感情關係混亂﹐男女角色隨便對對碰分配﹐每對情侶組合也一定要拍拖。不計當大配角的啞妹和她的路人老公﹐今次三個下一代男角的感情線﹐竟然可以完全不假外求﹐在家族內搭上妹妹或表妹便搞定。雖然扭橋硬說兩對情侶沒有血源關係﹐不過在戲中還是一家人般以哥哥妹妹相稱﹐編劇也不怕意識亂倫教壞人被人投訴。

上集負心郎鮑爸未完場得到領便當的教訓﹐今集世絕賤男Jo爸最後卻財色兼收﹐簡直沒有天理。原本只是身無一文的窮小子﹐搭上餅舖太子女當小老闆。太子女年輕時也頗有姿色啊﹐演年輕荷媽可是港姐冠軍楊思琦。到老婆替她生了六個小孩走晒樣後﹐便搭上風騷的紅姨繼續第二春。紅姨這個二奶沒有敗家﹐反而罕見地能幹替Jo爸打天下﹐把一個舊式餅舖發展成十幾億的大生意﹐對比荷媽十年如一日的餅舖﹐足見Jo爸搭上了富貴榮華的順風車。到紅姨老年色衰被Jo爸嫌棄了﹐他又沒有能力找年輕女孩風流快活﹐於是便打子女的主意﹐想臨老享天倫之樂。荷媽教仔紅姨雖然失敗也叫做有教仔﹐Jo爸這麼多年來什麼也沒有做過﹐仔女肯原諒他考順他﹐天下那有這便宜的事情。紅姨本來對Jo爸好端端﹐若果不是Jo爸想大小通吃﹐才會吃醋瘋了寧可一拍兩散也要執著報仇﹐結局應該要Jo爸妻離子散兼破產才大快人心。

無線以大家族為背景的劇集﹐總是感覺那些家族還未夠班﹐才不過有幾個舖位得幾億身家。反正現實中的豪門恩怨﹐爭幾百億遺產打官司﹐富豪正印髮妻罵戰產私生子新歡﹐二世祖搭上小明星或過氣大美人﹐比無線的公式劇情還好看。若無線再開拍大家族劇集﹐叫編劇不要閉門做車亂編劇情﹐應該向狗仔隊收料求橋﹐改篇真人真事更有噱頭。不如就首先開拍賭王傳奇﹐四個老婆爭寵肯定比二個老婆更好看。

Daily Scribble

Quest for wisdom

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I didn’t take any part time course at SFU this term because I have to adjust my newly wed life and I to work in India for 3 weeks in October. I am going to resume my studies next term. I can only afford to take one course per term, so I am working very very slowly to my philosophy degree. Next term I am taking intermediate ethic theory and political philosophy. The course is in the area of my study interest. I want to prepare myself well equipped to rebuke intellectual attacks from the both end of the political spectrum.

When I went to the bookstore pick up next term’s textbook, I have a habit of browsing textbooks of other courses, to see is there any interesting course I might want to take in the future. I come across many interesting and useful courses outside of the philosophy major. Philosophy is the mother of all subjects, which gives me a good foundation in making connection from knowledge in different fields. But I have to broaden my knowledge outside of philosophy into related areas if I want to survive in battle for the minds.

I observe that many leftists have a social studies background and many right-wingers have a economics background. I often feel kinda dumb when I read the theories quoted from both side to support their claims. Well, I sort of understand the quoted theories, they appears to be quite convincing in their context. However, without more knowledge on related fields, I can’t tell whether the theory really holds up or it is merely an intellectual bluff. I have identified a few other courses to take in the future if I couldn’t find a philosophy course fits my schedule on that term. Here is the list of core courses for my undergrad degree:

PHIL120 – Introduction to Moral Philosophy (done)
PHIL203 – Metaphysics (done)
PHIL220 – Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy (done)
PHIL242 – Philosophy of Art (done)
PHIL280 – Introduction to Existentialism (done)
PHIL300 – Introduction to Philosophy (done)
PHIL144 – Introduction to the Philosophy of Natural and Social Science
PHIL201 – Epistemology
PHIL240 – Philosophy of Religion
PHIL320 – Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL321 – Moral Issues and Theories
PHIL322 – History of Ethics
PHIL341 – Philosophy of Science
PHIL421 – Ethical Theories
SA250 – Introduction to Sociological Theory
SA350 – Classical Sociological Thought
SA351 – Classical Marxist Thought
SA450 – Advanced Sociological Theory
ECON208 – History of Economic Thought
ECON282 – Game Theory
ECON309 – Introduction to Marxian Economics
ECON402 – Advanced Microeconomic Theory
ECON403 – Advanced Macroeconomic Theory

Daily Scribble

Age difference

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People say love should overcome difference in religion, race, age or even gender. There should be no different in religion and race, since those are artificial difference not compatible with modern society. I am always against homosexuals and spent lots of time research into this topic. But I didn’t give much thoughts on the age differences. I found most people accept love relationship with older man and younger woman, even the man is much older. On the other hand, we think older woman and younger man is pretty gross. I am not talking about a merely a few years of insignificant difference. I am talking about real different, probably separate by at least a generation. Older man and younger woman is acceptable in the norm of our society and history. It is easy to understand why a older man wants a younger woman. What puzzles me is why we treat older woman and younger man differently.

When I know a thirty something woman going out with a early twenty boy, my first reflective impression is yuck. I am visualizing a old woman preying on young boys, kinda like how the witches keep themselves forever young in fantasy novels. I can’t rationalize my feeling towards old woman and young boy, technically it should have no difference from old man and young girl, except the gender is reversed. The only reason I can come up with is on reproduction, young girl is fertile but old woman is not. But that is a pretty weak argument, unless I want to condemn all couples choose not to have kids. I definitely won’t go after an old woman, unless she is super rich like “little sweet sweet” and leave her darling boy a fortune worth a few billion dollars.