電影

The A-Team 通天奇兵

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八十年代配音電視劇風行一時﹐《通天奇兵》曾經是我童年最愛的劇集﹐每個週未準時扭開電視﹐看水牛﹐霹靂仔﹐鈍胎﹐喪榮﹐如何化廢物為武器﹐替天行道警惡懲奸。當年流行的電視劇相繼被搬上大銀幕﹐在《神探俏嬌娃》取得票房好成績後﹐我便一直期待《通天奇兵》何時推出電影版。

上一代的原裝人馬早已退休﹐我最喜愛的角色Mr.T更不幸逝世﹐新版的《通天奇兵》換上新面孔﹐難得是新演員形神俱似﹐保持舊版緊張刺激有打有笑的神髓﹐連四人組的專用坐駕黑色Van仔也有出場﹐只是新版鈍胎略嫌不夠大隻。當年的四人組是越戰老兵﹐新版追上時代改為伊拉克戰爭。今次是荷里活A級大製作﹐當然比當年電視的土炮特技精彩百倍﹐炸藥落足本錢務求給觀眾最勁的爆炸場面。

這套電影算是有個故事吧﹐在伊拉克戰爭末期﹐四人組奉密令深入把格達﹐搶奪運鈔車和印銀紙的電鍍板。怎料任務成功回來後﹐電鍍板被壞人起尾注偷去﹐唯一知道密令的將軍又被暗殺﹐四人組被軍事法庭判罪收監。區區監獄又怎能困著通天奇兵﹐四人組誓要逃獄查出真兇﹐奪回電鍍板還他們一個清白。不理劇情中所有不可能發生的考合﹐故事勉強上說得通兼十分簡單易明。其實故事是什麼不重要﹐重要是可以串連起二個小時不斷的動作場面。

從墨西哥組成四人組打擊毒犯開始﹐電影便是一幕接一幕的爆炸﹐完全沒有冷場。預告片中的飛天坦克最神﹐從爆炸的運輸機掉出來﹐不單可以空中擊破戰鬥機﹐竟然還可以用主炮連射地面作減速﹐跌落湖中安全著陸。最後一場碼頭大戰﹐打到連貨櫃船也沉沒﹐連我這麼愛看爆炸的觀眾﹐也不禁問是否爆得太過跨張。不過只要打得好看那管他合不合理﹐反正當年舊版也是娛樂先行﹐《通天奇兵》從來也不是劇情片嘛。

儘管四人組最後把壞人繩之於法﹐但為證明自己是清明而逃獄本身已經犯法﹐他們再一次被軍法過橋抽板送去監獄。片末四人組再次從囚車逃出﹐承接舊電視版四人組當聯邦通緝犯的開始。雖然大部份影評把這電影批評得一文不值﹐可是《通天奇兵》舊粉絲卻大都拍手叫好。那些懶藝術懶有深度的影評人﹐他們根本不明白原裝電視版的精神﹐帶著他們有色眼鏡來看﹐自然不懂得欣賞無腦爆谷電影的奧妙之處了。

書評

金錢的故事 The Ascent of Money – Niall Ferguson

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上次去印度時買了這本《金錢的故事》﹐想不到閱讀進度甚慢﹐時隔半年又回到印度出差﹐才有時間讀全本書寫書評。雖有這本書的名稱說是關於金錢﹐正確點來說是關係金融體係發展的歷史。作者是哈佛大學教授﹐應PBS電視台邀請﹐拍攝講述金融歷史的記錄節目。電視節目叫好叫座﹐作者亦順勢把節目內容整理出書﹐六集節目變為書中的六章。由於從電視節目改篇成書的關係﹐這本書讀起來十分容易﹐不過內容則受原裝電視節目結構的限制﹐每一章也是個獨立單元﹐讀起來缺乏連貫性。內容為遷就電視觀眾的水平﹐加入很多有趣的歷史故事﹐但前因後果的歷史分析則相對較弱。

第一章開完名義﹐講述金錢的歷史和銀行的誕生﹐從古代銅錢貨幣開始說起﹐到中世紀以貴重金屬作為媒介﹐到來各國發行紙幣取代金屬﹐到近代索性取消貨幣黃金本位﹐到最後金錢連實體也失去﹐變成電腦內的一堆數字。作者引用大量歷史資料﹐指出金錢在歷史中的重要性﹐十字東征是其中一個原因﹐是歐洲大量流失貴重金屬﹐導致貨幣供應短缺。到殖民地時代的西班牙﹐因發現印卡王國的白銀寶庫﹐一船船把白銀運回國引致嚴重通貨棚漲﹐最後弄至經濟一廞不振﹐衰失海上霸主的地位。後半段介紹文藝復興時期的Mediccis家族﹐當年的銀行主要是做貨幣對換的生意﹐利用消息靈通時間上的優勢﹐以猶太人的身份和一個家族的緊密連繫﹐發展出橫跨歐洲各國﹐富可敵國的跨國銀行。最初銀行只做存錢和商業交數﹐到了十七世紀端士銀行發明借錢﹐在假定有存戶不會同時間提出所有存款的前題下﹐銀行可以把收到的存款借出賺取利息。以前銀行主要收入靠收取手續費﹐現代的銀行已轉型變為資產和風險管理。

第二章講述債卷的誕生﹐債卷是國家向人民或外國的借錢的工具﹐最初發行主要用來支付戰爭開支。戰勝國自然有能力償還債卷﹐戰敗國的債卷則變成癈紙﹐當年買債卷可以說是在賭那個國家會打勝仗。在歐洲各國還在打來打去的年代﹐出了一名債卷專家Rothschild﹐包攬各國債卷的發行和行銷。因為戰爭說到底也是在拼財力﹐Rothschild的債卷決定足以左右一個國家的命運﹐美國內戰中南方運戰敗的其中一個原因﹐便是因為經濟實力比北方差﹐而又借不所行軍打仗所需的資金。到了十九世紀殖民地時代﹐殖民地發行的債卷﹐竟然比宗主國還有更高的評級。債卷的評級取決於還款能大﹐宗主國軍力強大很難迫他還錢﹐但殖民地債卷在宗主國有很多債主﹐宗主國有實際統治權﹐不怕殖民地走數壞賬。

第三章講述股票﹐在股票出現以前﹐公司與擁有公司的那個人關係不可分割﹐有了股票能分散公司的擁有權﹐識公司可以在市場上集資。最初的股票發行的是荷蘭的遠洋商船隊﹐因為風險大但利潤高﹐才想到以發行股票的形式去集資﹐發放股息分享利潤﹐並設立股票交易市場﹐讓想套現的人買賣股票。因為荷蘭海軍實力強大﹐遠洋商船隊是很好的投資﹐直致荷蘭的海上霸權被英國取代﹐股票的升幅高達每年27%。有股票自然會有泡沬﹐史上第一個泡沬由英國人John Law發明﹐他游說到法國皇帝給他北美殖民地的貿易專營權。他的公司用優厚股票吸引投資者﹐但本身只是一個錢滾錢的龐底騙局。他的公司因為有皇帝撐腰﹐吸引很多貴族投資﹐讓他結交政治勢力﹐還讓他當了法國的財相。泡沬最後爆煲是經濟定律﹐他既然身為法國財相﹐有能力左右法國的貨幣政策﹐便想透過貶值來阻止泡沬爆破﹐結果把法國的經濟弄得一團糟﹐埋下法國大革命的導火線。這章最後一節﹐講述本世紀華爾街股票的興衰﹐不過這些陳年歷史因為近年金融海嘯﹐早已給傳媒翻炒了多次。

第四章講述保險的發明。現在保險推銷員人見人憎﹐想不到最初保險竟然教會發明﹐用意是照顧意外離世牧師﹐遺留下來的弧兒寡婦。後來蘇格蘭人把保險應用在航運上﹐為出航的船隻提供天災人禍的保障。在發明統計學以前﹐賣保險與賭錢沒有分別﹐蘇格蘭人精於計算﹐很快便把統計學應用在保險上﹐以人口壽命計算出風險與保費的關係。蘇格蘭的寡婦基金﹐更一度是英國最大的投資公司﹐後來演變成今天的保險公司。醫療保險和年老退休保險﹐今天是左派社會福利主義的招牌﹐估不到竟然是極右派納萃德國和軍國主義的日本發明。社會福利制度的邏輯很簡單﹐國民要身體健康軍隊才會強大﹐對未來生活有潼景﹐才會為國家效忠。賣命。本世紀統計數學上有重大突破﹐直接速成風險管理基金的興起。

第五章講樓市﹐香港地產只有個炒字。估不到在歷史上﹐地產與民主原來有直接關係。英美的民主發展﹐很大程度上是源於市民要保護個人資產的需求。而民主推行的初期﹐只有樓在手的市民﹐才擁有投票權。金融海嘯源於次按﹐作者也花了很長篇幅講述按揭市場的歷史﹐並追朔美國兩大房貸公司﹐最初以追求全民有樓政治任務才成立的歷史。市民擁有房屋不單是經濟問題﹐更可以影響社會文化﹐對自由和個人權利的取態。

最後一章有點雜亂﹐講下第一代全球化即舊殖民時代的全球經濟﹐第一代全球化直到第一次世界大戰才結束。。接下來講下經濟殺手又講下索羅斯﹐不過我讀看經濟殺手的原著﹐這一節的內容沒有新意。當然不能不提諾貝爾經濟獎得主的LTCM基金﹐以為他發明的數學可以預測一切﹐卻計算漏了自身的行為會影響市場﹐結果鑲成八九年的金融風暴。最後一節講下現在全球經濟﹐中美兩大經濟巨頭的較量﹐這部文章內容水分大多﹐內容與平時報章看到的大同小異。

最後全書總結金融體系的發展歷史﹐並指出雖有經濟系統幾百年的經歷不斷進化﹐人類並不是全然經濟理性的動物﹐很多時不能作出最合適的決定。現代經濟體系複雜無比﹐但同時亦十分脆弱﹐只要爆發全球性戰爭﹐便足以破壞幾百年的經濟進化。

Product Reviews

Audio Technica ATH-ANC25

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I have been using my old Creative noise cancellation head phone for a few years. It is starting to falling apart after all this years of good service and my abuses from 5 Indian trips. The wire connection is getting lose and sometimes the left side has no sound. It is time to get a new noise cancellation head phone for my yet another India trip.

I have been looking into buying a noise cancellation head phone for quite some time. The offering at Future Shop or Best Buy are limited. They are only selling Sony, Philips, JVC even Maxwell noise cancellation head phones. None of those brands are particularly great and they almost double the price I paid for my old Creative head phone. One day I was having lunch at Broadway and I came across into Headphone Bar, a small shop focus in selling high end head phones. It only sells brands well known among Hi-Fi fans but normally don’t available in chain electronic stores.

Headphone Bar has two new noise cancellation headphones from Audio Technica, which is a well known Japanese band, ATH-ANC27, a bigger cover the ear model and ATH-ANC25, a smaller model. The ATH-ANC27 is pretty expensive but the ATN-ANC25 is only $99, so I decide to give it a try. The moment I put it on, I already like the head phone. The ear mug is very comfortable and cancellation is good. One feature I like is the wire is detachable, so I can just wear the head phone in flight without the wire dangling over me. Since I am flying out in a few days, I don’t have time to order the head phone online or double check its review. I took my chances and bought it right on the spot.

When I got home I checked the internet to confirm my buying decision. It turns out the price I paid is the exactly list price on the web. I can find it less than $10 cheaper on eBay, so the shop does not mark up the price. Then I look at the online reviews, it turns out the ATN-ANC27 is the next generation of ATH-ANC7b and its quality almost on par with the Bose Quietcomfort 3, which is absolutely the best noise cancellation headphone. The ATN-ANC25 is the little brother of ATN-ANC27, the only difference is the padding size and the power of the sound driver. It also has very good review, it is the best noise cancellation in the sub $100 category.

I tried my new headphone on my flight from Vancouver to India. The noise cancellation is better than my old creative headphone. In the old headphone, the static pink noise was very obvious and the new headphone is much quieter. One feature I like is the wire has a volume control, so I can easily adjust the volume. The only complain is the 2-pins to 1-pin in-flight audio adapter is very flimsy. It is broken when I squeezed through the sleeping guy sitting next to me to go to the toilet. The adapter just a piece of cheaper plastic with 2 wires and I can get replacement in HK for less than $3.

Overall, I am very happy with my new noise cancellation headphone. Highly recommended for long flight, it will give you have a good night of quiet sleep.

Product Reviews

Samsung Galaxy S Captivate

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My Palm Treo has reached the end of its lift, it is time to buy a new cell phone. I have been debating whether or not should I get the iPhone 4. iPhone 4 is sleek but I disapprove the control freak business tactics of Apple. Although almost everyone around me use a iPhone, I decide to go against the trend and embrace Android, a truly open platform compare to Apple’s walled garden. I naturally picked the Samsung Galaxy S, since it is the flagship Android phone and its specification is on par with iPhone 4. I used Rogers, so I have to picked up the AT&T version of Galaxy S Captivate. All Galaxy S versions are essentially the same under the hood, only cosmetic difference on the shell.

Galaxy S is actually slightly lighter and thinner than the iPhone 4. The Captivate looks like a Blackberry while the Vibrate looks like a iPhone. I must admit iPhone has better design of the shell, however that’s purely cosmetic. Galaxy S use normal SIM card, I just plug in my old SIM card it simply works. It comes with 16GB internal RAM and a micro SD card slot, so I can expand the memory if I ever need more, another point winning over iPhone. The screen and sound quality is top-notch, although the screen resolution is slightly less than iPhone 4. The battery is pretty good, I can watch 5 hours of video before runs out of the battery. In stand by mode with Wi-fi data enabled for background update and occasional short phone calls, it used about 20% in a day.

The contact and calendar links up to my gmail and facebook account. Since all the data is stored in Google’s server, I don’t have to worry about sync up with my computer and I can access my data anywhere. Transfer contact from my Palm is really easy, I just need to export the old address book to a vcf file and then import it to gmail, I got all the numbers and addresses into the phone in less than 30 seconds.

The haptic feedback of the screen is nice, every time I press a button or a key on the screen, the phone will vibrate to give me a freedback. The swype keyboard is definitely an improvement over iPhone. I don’t have to lift my finger when I type, I can simply trace the characters on the screen. I think with enough practice, I can type in swype as almost as good as using a real keyboard. The only complain is the stock OS does not come with Chinese input, I have to download the Chinese IME separately.

For most applications your found in iPhone, you can find the pretty much the same on Android. The Android apps market is the equivalent of the iTune app store. I can find most of the apps I need for free. I can also download paid software without paying from Applanet instead of download from the Google Market. iPhone boost to have many more apps than Android, but most of those extra apps belongs to the long tail that nobody really use. Android allows game console emulators, combined with the one stop game ROM download apps, I play virtually every single old games from the 80s and 90s on my phone.

iPhone has has a one stop sync up solution for music and video files with iTunes. Android does not come with any fancy sync up tools. Although Samsung has the Kies software but it is not very user friendly. For better or worse, a Android phone can just act like any other USB driver. I can easily copy files between my computer and my phone using Windows Explorer. I have a few options if I don’t want to plug in the USB cable all the time. I can either run FTP client from the phone to log into the FTP server on my computer or run FTP server on the phone and log in from my computer. The only problem is FTP cannot not handle Chinese character properly. Double Twist Air Sync comes close to a one stop solution, but its file database still has too much influence from iTune and does not let me control the directory structure. Web Sharing seems very promising, I can mount my phone as a network drive on my computer.

The stock Captivate comes with Android 2.1, so I decided to upgrade the OS to 2.2. Flashing the ROM of your cell phone is not for the fainted heart. I bricked my phone a few times before I get the new OS up and running. Instead of using the Samsung stock firmware, I used the Cognition ROM, which is better performance and has more features built into the OS. It double the speed of the stock ROM according to benchmark result. This is a major advantage of Android over iPhone, I can do whatever I want with the cell, including installing a complete new OS.

Android is not only a smart phone, but is really a full function computer inside your pocket. It just happen to be I can also make phone calls from this pocket computer. After all Android is Linux under the hood, with the root control I have complete control any feature of the phone.