All posts by hevangel

令人噴飯的謝飯 – 施諾

我不是基督教徒,但大學年代返了多年基督教會,也曾活躍於當年臥虎藏龍的基版。對於一些基督教會特別的華人教會的荒唐事,不只是略有所聞甚至有第一手經歷。當年基版也曾有人發起過把這些荒唐事記錄下來,不過基版關門之後大家不了了之。剩下只是幾個學術性較重的網站,如基版FAQ基督教人文學會離教者之家等等。想不到十年後的今天,竟然有個有心人的笨蛋自資出書,忠言逆耳指地出基督教會的陋習。

從作者的文筆之間,我感受到他對信仰的熱誠,隱固的聖經學問基礎,以及對現今的基督教會感到失望,正所謂愛之深責之切。幸好他是用筆名出書,不然恐怕他早已給牧師捉去問話,說什麼家醜不該外傳,不要給教外人找著痛腳來攻擊基督教。然而這個種教會中報喜不報憂,缺乏自省能力的不負青任文化,正正便是本書其中一個批評重點。

作者把問題歸納為三個主要問題,神職人員和教徒的「三無」態度,無知,無能,無責任感。耶穌教會的生命內容被抽空掉,只餘下形式上的軀殼徙然存在。作者分為九十多個章節,逐一細數教會中充斥著各式各種的荒謬。與癈話無異的屬靈官腔,被教外人訕笑扮虔誠的愚行,想要做騷但又不濟的見證,不能適應社會的教會沉澱物,自以為是獨佔恩寵把耶穌當成黃大仙,重量不重質地盲目追求人數增長,讓正常人反感的薄涼借苦難傳教手法。教會變成了中產階級俱樂部,教徙集體自我催眠以為在信耶穌,原來只是得把口講耶穌,完全沒有行動去章顯耶穌的愛心。其實這本書的內容也不是新鮮事,基督教會內的腐化非一日之寒。返教會日子久但依然能保持獨立思考的教徙,讀這本書會倍覺身同感受,一邊看一邊讚嘆說出了心底話。

這本書不是神學作品,不涉及教義正統異端之爭,只是以平常心,像國王的新衣中那個小孩一樣,說出教會長久以來的問題。筆者的文筆有點長氣,不過他在序言也說過,若不這樣長氣慢慢地解說,恐怕便給別人斷章取義,說他在生安白造攻擊教會,然後把書中的勸告掃進垃圾筒,繼續依然故我地自我感覺良好。全書最後兩章有簡單的問答,說說作者寫這本書的原因和目標,想批評這本書的人應該看一看。作者只是看不過眼教內的情況想出一分力,他不是要人離開教會,也不是很徫大地提倡要改革教會,只是如果有教徙看過這本書後有所得著,從自已開始不再做令人噴飯的教徙,他便已經功德圓滿了。

若果當年有這本書,又若果當年我返的教會看了這本書改正過來,說不定今天我會是個基督教徙呢。

Bluetooth mini keyboard

I have a Logitech wireless keyboard for my living room computer that hooks up to my TV. It is working fine for a long time but now I have a small problem. It is too big for me to hold the baby and type at the same time. Moreover, the keyboard is sitting on the coffee table when not used. If I bend over to pick it up with the baby sleeping on me, this motion makes the baby uncomfortable and very often wakes him up. I need a smaller wireless keyboard that is easy to use.

I got this Made in China Bluetooth mini keyboard on eBay fro $15. It is pretty small, smaller than my palm. The keys feel like cheap calculator, but it gets the job done. It is very easy to setup, just plug in the Bluetooth dongle and pair the device. I didn’t test explicitly the range of operation, but it works fine with the distance between the couch and the TV. It uses built-in Li-ion battery that charges via micro USB cable. The battery can last 3-4 hours of non-step use when fully charged. Since I usually only need to type in something quick, the battery can last pretty long if I remember turn off the keyboard after each use.

With this latest addition, now my baby station is fully equipped. It is a rocking recliner chair with very comfortable armrest and built-in footrest. There has a pouch sitting on armrest that enables me to have full control of the TV and the living room computer within arms reach. The pouch houses the TV remote, the cable box remote, a wireless mouse and the Bluetooth mini keyboard. Now I can keep myself entertained even if I have to hold the baby for the whole night.

心戰

想不到一套「心戰」,讓我重溫久違了追看電視劇集的快意。追電視劇不同煲電視劇,煲電視劇只是剛好手上有整套劇集,缺乏自制力下便一集接一集不停地看。追電視劇則是當劇集還在播放時,每晚放工回家乖乖坐在電視前,追看最新一集的劇情,看完一集後會心思思,去猜想明晚的一集會如何發展。

戚其義不愧為無記的金牌監製,上次「天與地」創做出港劇的神話,今次再下一城挑戰電視觀眾的極限,拍出一齣絕對另類的懸疑劇,男女主角全部心理變態大開殺戒,完全沒有一絲無線的婆媽公式。師奶觀眾看不慣收視自然差,但卻多了一班平時只看日劇美劇的網上觀眾,這套劇集的編劇拍得上外國片集的水準。

以下內容含有劇透,未看結局的朋友慎入,懸疑劇說穿了謎底,便沒有那樣好看了。

說在前頭,不只是一味把「心戰」捧到天上有地下無,劇情推理的確有犯駁之處,也時不時偶有悶場,但主線大橋真的讓人拍案叫絕。開場頭十集節奏很慢,要不是陳豪和鄭少秋兩大視帝坐鎮鬥戲,可能便中途放棄不看了。可是當開始連環殺人後,故事便精彩起來。我和老婆每晚也估誰是星期三殺手,給編劇地一而再,再而三地誤導,到發現邵美琪是真兇時,真不得不得寫它一個服字。邵美琪殺警察那一幕,一刀插入胸後叫他不要動,說流很多血會清潔很麻煩,邵美琪的神情語氣的演譯,應該可以拿視后。後來邵美琪自首自殺後,陳豪找鄭少秋復仇失敗,陳茵媺認作Tansy劇情峰迴路轉,又再一次給編劇欺騙,劇情真係完全你估我唔到。

導演的拍攝手法創新,劇中穿插鄭少秋與女兒的夢境相遇毀譽參半,我就覺得那些是悶場,但倒也不失為交待心底想法的新手法。陳豪與他的四個心魔,用五個演員合演一個角色,每個人代表內心不同的性格,絕對是神來之筆。片尾的沙畫詭異神秘,與劇集的主題互相配合,比其他只是映著藝員唱歌的片尾,格調高雅多了,像是在告訢觀眾,這套不是師奶戲,是另一層次的劇集。開放式的冚家剷結局更是高章,兩個男主角一個死一個瘋。無記劇集結局例牌BBQ,從另一個角度看這套也是BBQ結局耶。

Ozma 奧茲瑪

松本零士是科幻日本動畫殿堂級大師,「宇宙戰艦大和號」,「銀河鐵道999」,「千年女王」等等,無一不是當年陪伴我們成長的名字。在他旳眾多作品中,還有這套蒼海遺珠「奧茲瑪」,三十年前的企劃到今天終於重見天日,一共六集OVA作為Wowow社成立二十週年的記念作。

故事倒是很扎實的科幻背景,未日後的地球沙漠化。地面大部分由基因改造完美人的帝國控制,自然人只能在沙漠周邊苟且生活。主題是很行貨的環保訊息,完美人走進進化的死胡同,基因過度複製慢慢敗壞,不能適應環境的轉變。自然人雖然生活艱苦,但他們才是地球末來的希望。主角群則是松本慣用的海盜,只是把戰場從宇宙改為沙漠,太空船變了沙潛艇。

主線橋段老土到不得了,少年在沙漠救起謎之美女,引起帝國與海盜正面衝突。解謎的過程很王道,謎之美女剛巧是帝國公主,又有與沙漠巨獸溝通的能力,是地球再綠化的關鍵。敵方指揮官又剛好是主角的哥哥,美女艦長的戀人,被捉了去洗腦重置人格,在最後關頭記憶又回來了。中間那兩場沙潛艇戰很好看,只是主角們反敗為勝有點兒老梗。其他人物的演譯很公式化,海盜船上應有的角色也有,但除了用來湊數和講那些熟口熟面的對白外,他們完全沒有其他功用。想再說詳細點的劇情也沒法了,畢竟故事就是這樣單薄。

三十年前的動畫設定,在今天看起來有些過時。不知是否Wowow技術不足,還是刻意保留懷舊畫風,有些畫面拉時很礙眼,完全不似電腦輪助作畫。不過看慣了松本零士的老觀眾,倒也有一份親切感。特別是他的女主角多年來也同一個樣子,身材超瘦加長長的眼睫毛,每個都像是倒模印出來一樣。說起松本零士,我反而對新一套的「宇宙戰艦大和號2199」有興趣,看預告片中太空戰艦大戰的電腦動畫很壯觀啊。

Crucial M4 SSD (256MB with data transfer kit)

I just upgrade my old computer with a SSD drive and 16GB of RAM. It is the best upgrade I have ever had, I feel like getting a new computer. My 2 years old i5 is performing faster than a brand new i7 with old fashion hard drive. After installing the SSD, Windows boot up in less than 20 seconds, much faster compare to 2-3 minutes before I got the SSD.

The Crucial M4 SSD got a very good rating from Tom’s Hardware SSD review. Although it is slightly slower than Intel or Samsung, but it deliver the best value for the money. Actually, there isn’t much noticeable difference in all the latest generation SSD from the big brand names. Most of them use the same controller from Sanforce and the same NAND flash technology. I bought the Crucial M4 only because it is on sales at NCIX.

I am too lazy to reinstall my Windows, so I bought a SSD big enough to copy all the files of the OS and the installed programs. My SSD comes with a data transfer kit, it is just a USB to SATA cable with the hard drive imaging software. You cannot just copy the files from your old HDD to SSD directly, because SSD use 4k partition. The transfer is pretty simple, shrink my original hard drive to less than 256MB by moving music and video files elsewhere, then run the program to clone the remaining files. With the USB transfer kit, I can make sure the is new SSD is alive before I open the case and messing around with cables.

Windows 7 boots up without any trouble in the new SSD. However, my Windows was installed on a HDD, I have to change a few settings to optimize the OS for SSD following the easy steps in SSD Optimization Guide. The general idea is pretty simple. SSD is flash memory, it has a limited write life cycle, so you have to limited unnecessary write operations to extend its life span. For example, the optimization includes disable disk defrag utilities, get more RAM and turn off the page swap file, enable TRIM to mark delete data, move the indexing file to a HDD, etc.

I am very happy with the new SSD. My computer is running lightening fast. If you haven’t got a SSD, I strongly encourage to get one. Price of SSD had fallen a lot in the past year, it is now within an affordable range. Upgrading to a SDD will be the best upgrade to your computer ever, you will get more performance than any other upgrade.