All posts by hevangel

Daily Scribble

W Class

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I am taking PHIL 120W this term.  The letter W in the course number indicate this course satisfy the writing credit requirement.  Over the years, employers complain university graduate cannot write.  The mandatory writing credits requirement is the response from the university.  The W courses is writing intensive.  It suppose to help the students improve their writing abilities and overall communication skill.  Writing intensive means the course has lots of writing assignment.  We have to hand in 4 essays over a period of slightly longer than 2 months.

I am taking philosophy classes for fun and to learn some new ideas.  I don’t need to satisfy any writing credit requirement.  Sometimes I feel kinda silly taking a course with such a heavy work load.  Complaining about the work load is one thing, I have to admit the writing assignment really helps me learn.  To complete the assignment, first I have to examine the arguments in the textbook and carefully evaluate their validity.  Then I have to come up with my own objections, expecting replies to my objections and defenses for my objections.  I feel like I am thinking like a real philosopher.

Learning philosophy is like learning engineering.  It is one thing to memorize all the equations, it is another thing to apply the equations to solve real world problems.  It is one thing to recite the thoughts of all the great philosophers, it is another thing to apply those ideas to solve philosophical dilemmas.

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The Nightmare Before Christmas 怪誕城之夜

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The Nightmare Before Christimas 如果在萬聖節想看套應節的電影﹐但又不喜歡過度血腥驚嚇的恐怖片﹐就很適合看這套萬聖節為主題的「怪誕城之夜」。這套電影是鬼才導演Tim Burton的作品﹐採用停格動畫方式拍攝﹐劇中角色大唱音樂劇﹐是套很另類風格的作品。這電影自從93年上映以來﹐已經吸引無數忠心影迷支持﹐成為一代cult片的經典。不少人更瘋狂收集造型趣怪的劇中角色的商品﹐真的不可以小看這電影的魔力。

這套電影是個很簡單的童話故事。話說有一個萬聖節鎮﹐居民每天都忙著準備慶祝萬聖節。有一年萬聖節狂歡過後﹐南瓜王傑克對年年也過相同的萬聖節感到厭倦。他在森林漫步散心時﹐無意中闖進了聖誕節鎮﹐被那兒聖誕節的歡樂氣氛吸引。於是他回到萬聖節鎮﹐總動員所有居民準備慶祝聖誕節。萬聖節鎮中各人忙著給小朋友做禮物﹐古怪博士給傑克做骷髏鹿車﹐科學怪人美女給傑克縫製聖誕老人的紅衣。傑克還把真的聖誕老人綁架了﹐在聖誕節前夕冒充聖誕老人﹐四週圍去給小朋友派禮物。結果如何大家可以想像得到﹐當然是搞出了一個混合萬聖節與聖誕節的怪胎節日﹐譜天同慶變成了譜天同嚇﹗

「怪誕城之夜」是音樂劇﹐戲中的配樂和演唱固然十分精彩﹐電影原聲大碟更加是百聽不厭。本該很恐怖的萬聖節角色﹐如吸血彊屍﹐人狼﹐科學怪人﹐在停格動畫的鏡頭中﹐卻變成很可愛很生動的得意公仔。故事的劇本沒有刻意的瘋狂搞笑﹐只是在微細的地方讓觀眾會心微笑﹐整套電影讓人看得很舒服。今天萬聖節檔期﹐迪士尼推出「怪誕城之夜」的IMAX立體版﹐很可惜在溫哥華沒有上映。這套電影是少數值得一看再看﹐看罷再三回味的好電影。

Daily Scribble

Textbook

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School has started for almost 2 months, the textbook for my course has finally arrived in mail today.  Textbook selling in the university bookstore is ridiculously expensive.  A new paper back textbook is selling for $120, a well beaten used copy with lots highlight and dog ears is selling for $80.  For the same textbook, I can find a new one online for $70 including shipping.  It is obvious any reasonable man will order textbook online instead of getting rip off by the bookstore. 

Well… everything comes at a price.  In the university bookstore, you go home with the textbook in your hand.  In a online store, you have to wait patiently for the textbook arrive in snail mail.  The online book store, abebooks, I usually buy from is pretty reliable on delivery.  Somehow they screw up my order this time, the book never arrive, probably lost in mail.  So I have to cancel the original order and order a new one.  I end up having no textbook for almost 2 months.  Luckily a kind hearted classmate let me photocopy her textbook for the assigned readings.  I can also read some sections of the textbook on Google books.  I should order the textbook before school starts next time, so it will arrive on time.

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Thank You for Smoking 吸煙無罪

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Thank You for Smoking 零五年上映的「吸煙無罪」雖然獲提名金球獎﹐但沒有大明星坐陣沒有強力宣傳﹐只是一套叫好不叫座的小成本製作。這套影卻是近年我看過最好笑的諷刺喜劇﹐風格與Nicoles Cage的「軍火之王」(Lord of Wars)相似﹐但在黑色幽默中沒有如後者般叫人沉重。這電影改篇自Chistopher Buckley的同名小說﹐主角是在華府替煙草商工作的說客。這套電影並不是鼓吹觀眾吸煙﹐事實上電影中一個吸煙鏡頭也沒有。

電影是藉著主角的觀點﹐對過份政治正確的反吸煙文化﹐與在美國政壇無孔不入說客﹐作出一針見血的諷刺﹐以及各大五十大板的批判。戲中不乏精警扺死的名句﹐觀眾在笑聲過後﹐總不免要思考一下﹐究竟我們的政治生態出了什麼問題。不論是支持或反對吸煙雙方﹐每個言論獨立來看好像言之有理﹐但把左右光譜政客的言論﹐與他們在前後發表的言論﹐放在一起看﹐總是覺得有點不對勁。什麼地方不對勁總是說不上來﹐不過這並不緊要﹐反正人民的記憶是短暫﹐只要能通過今天的政治議題﹐明天的政治議題又新的開始。

故事是講述主角日常的說客工作﹐ 他四處替煙草公司說項﹐左右民意反對政府立法禁煙。開場時在電視上跟禁煙支持者辯論﹐妙語連珠扭轉觀眾的視線﹐肺癌少年也可以用來為煙草商作正面宣傳﹐不禁令人拍案叫絕。劇情上半部是一個連一個的小故事﹐無不幽默地玩盡觀眾對政治說客的偏見。主角和兩位好朋友不常有午餐會﹐分別是替槍械生產商和釀酒商作說客﹐每次見面一定有讓觀眾捧腹的黑色吐嘈。他們戲稱自己是死亡商人集團﹐還會拿三個行業導致的死亡人數比較﹐看看誰更加邪惡。主角會飛去荷里活與電影商開會﹐想點子讓煙草商讚助在片中大賣廣告﹐挑動荷里活電影過份商業化的神經。到了加洲順道去探萬寶路牛仔﹐用錢叫他封口不要向傳媒訴說自己患肺癌。當然財大氣粗地用錢撻人不會有用﹐主角動之以情說之以理的游說技巧﹐簡直如魔鬼般看透對方的內心慾望。

電影後劇情半部高潮起﹐主角給反吸煙恐怖份子綁架﹐給當記者的女朋友出賣﹐給變態禁煙議員窮追猛打﹐事業從重高處直跌入谷底。最後一場戲主角昂然步入國會聽證會﹐替香煙包裝不應加上恐怖照片辯護。主角一一化解來自禁煙陣營的攻擊﹐避開吸煙對身體有害的爭議﹐把禁煙教育的責任從香煙包裝轉回學校與家長身上。最後禁煙議員刻意刁難﹐既然主角為煙草商辯護﹐那他會不會讓兒子吸煙。明顯的答案是兒子年紀還少﹐讓未成年人吸煙是犯法的。禁煙議員再窮追猛打﹐問主角當兒子成年生日那天會不會鼓勵他吸煙。主角的絕妙回答容我賣個關子﹐只說他最後憑著急智口材反敗為勝﹐重拾失去的事業和尊嚴。

另條一貫終穿全劇的主線是主角與他兒子關係的轉變。 兒子最初不諒解父親的工作﹐受離婚母親的影響﹐認為父親替無良奸商工作的壞。到最後兒子鼓勵父親重新振作﹐以說客踏上國會聽證會替辯無可辯的煙草商作辯的為榮。主角與兒子的幾場劇﹐對白簡直是針針到肉﹐令觀眾思想與眼界大開。用小孩子也聽到的言語﹐把說客的工作與技巧解釋清楚。他把說客比喻為替死囚辯護的律師﹐就算是邪惡商人也應該有答辯的權利﹐況且是不是邪惡還不一定有定論。在兒子學校的家長日中﹐老師請家長介紹自己的工作﹐他在三言兩語間為小孩子反洗腦﹐用父母不許小朋友吃朱古力作為例子﹐讓孩子質疑禁煙份子常常說吸煙不好的說話﹐絕對他是三寸不難之舌的神乎其技。

最經典是他教導兒子身為說客的辯論技巧﹐用辯論朱古力與雲呢拿雪榚那味道好吃作例子﹐示範正確的辯論技巧可以讓自己永遠立於不敗之地。每一個政治人物也應該熟讀這場戲﹐政治辯論根本不需要說服對方﹐辯論最終目的是讓旁觀的第三者認同你的說法。只需要把自己立場方在對手的對立面﹐然後指出對方的錯處擊倒對手。拋出大道理來轉移視線﹐避開自己立場的弱點﹐絕大部份旁觀者(選民)就會覺得你所說的是正確﹐並不會深究其實就算他是錯也不等於你就是對。

香港政壇充斥著大大小小的政治化粧師(spin doctor)﹐我無意批評他們是對或是錯。他們把民意轉來轉去﹐其實與美國政壇的說客同出一轍。在成熟的民主政治中﹐這些人是政治生態中不可缺少的一環﹐可以說是必需邪惡(necessary evil)的存在。只是香港的政治化粧師的化粧技巧實在太差﹐不但不能影響民意還常常越幫越忙。本著敬業樂業做好一份工的精神﹐請他們向「吸煙無罪」取經﹐向美國的說客虛心學習。我也明白政治上無可避免有需要左右民意﹐不過請那些政治化粧師不要當我們選民是白痴。爭取我們民意可要多動些腦筋﹐才能夠說服(或欺騙)我們去支持你們啊﹗

Daily Scribble

Laetitia Daguenel

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I am never a fan of any sport super stars. I don’t understand why anyone crazy about some strangers playing sport somewhere far away. What is the fun of watching other people play sports on TV? Isn’t it much more fun to play the game yourself? Why would people waste time, energy and money to follow sport stars? Finally I may have a glimpse into the mind of sport fans because I think I have became a fan of Laetitia Daguenel. Laetitia Daguenel is born in France, 18 years old and she is the IPSC world champion. Here is a video of her on youtube.