The Hex code of this color is #890604. Twenty years ago in Tiananmen Square, a group of students painted the place this color with their blood. Please join the remember this day event in Facebook.
Akikan! 空罐少女
在日本的眾多動畫中﹐有一個類別動畫歷久不衰﹐每季新番必定也有以此為題材的作品。也許觀看動畫觀眾層面多為單身男性﹐後宮式情節能滿足他們的幻想﹐所以這類型的動畫總是長拍長有。謎樣美少女憑空出現﹐忽然降臨男主角家中﹐更是這類動畫的典型開場白。美少女出現的原因多不勝數﹐不過基本上可以不用理會﹐反正編劇也只是找個藉口讓美少女登場。《空罐少女》的點子倒十分無厘頭﹐喝一口汽水空罐忽然變成女生﹐還要參加空罐選拔大賽﹐可謂把這條公式推至極限。
這套動畫屬於輕鬆小品﹐作為背景的空罐選拔大選是個幌子﹐在把所有重要角色介紹出場後﹐便是嘻嘻哈哈胡鬧一番的校園喜劇。故事天馬行空﹐圍繞著男主角和他的青梅竹馬好友﹐以及化身成他們僕人的空罐少女。女主角蜜瓜是蜜瓜味汽水﹐她是那種典型的傲氣女角﹐什麼事情也不服輸﹐性格卻是跳線的傻大姐。
其他出場的空罐還有小女孩模樣的萄葡汁外冷內熱的碳酸健康飲料﹐和季尾以首領身份出場﹐吸食其他空罐靈魂的混合果汁。空罐少女不懂人類社會的生活方式﹐自作聰明烏龍百出是主要笑料。還有眾多女角爭風吃醋﹐疑似百合的超級多角戀關係﹐也為故事增添不少歡樂氣氛。
男主角的角色設定可謂一絕。從來沒有見過這樣人渣的角色﹐不單止思想髒淫腦袋子歪念﹐還常常用行動表達出來。當然不論男主角如何好色﹐也不能違反這類少年向的動畫的道德潔癖。男主角思想三級但身體老實﹐每次有圖謀不軌時﹐總會給蜜瓜炸飛變成黑碳。不過他的性格也不是一無是處﹐撇除那些二級半笑料外﹐他其實也佷緊張和關心蜜瓜﹐還會偶然流露出純情一面。蜜瓜因為誤會離家出走﹐他買捧球手套和她玩接球哄她回家﹐看起來也有點窩心的感覺。
雖然這套不是主力打鬥的動畫﹐但偶然幾場空罐少女之間的決鬥﹐攻守招式清晰可見﹐製作群沒有為省功夫使用快線﹐充份展現出動作流暢的感覺。在動作場面的處理上﹐絕對不比其他專賣打鬥的動畫遜色。相對其他掛羊頭賣萌的美少女打鬥動畫﹐製作水準更是高下立見。
《空罐少女》是一季番只有十二集﹐不過這類動畫應該可以長畫長有﹐反正故事以角色帶動﹐加插新人物便能保持新鮮感。不知這套動畫在日本的收視如何﹐製作公司會不會開拍下一季呢﹖
Musica Intima – This Amazing Day
I have quite an unique concert experience last night at the performance of Musica Intima. This is a small group of armature singers singing in a carol choir unlike any choir you heard in the church or in school. Although the musical piece is arranged in SATB parts, their style is contemporary instead of traditional. In last night’s concert, they are singing poems from 19-20th century famous poets with newly composed melodies. The concert is at the Anglican cathedral in downtown and the venue is not very full. I guess this type of music is not really main stream.
I found the music very soothing. The vocal variety is great and undoubtedly the choir is very talented and able to preform very technical pieces. My only complain is the songs transform sound of the words in lyrics to an extreme to suit the melodies, as a result I could not understand most words in the lyrics. Luckily, before each pieces, a choir member will introduce the poem they are about to sing, or I will be totally lost. My favorite song is titled “sleep”, the choir even ask the audience to close their eyes to imagine the song and the poem as a dream. The concert is quite interesting, something worth to see at least once. But I might probably get bored seeing it the second time.
Religion, human rights and the meaning of freedom
Defaming is to falsely accuse against something, but religion matters can not be proved true or false. Therefore, in theory no one can defame religions. Moreover, it is our basic human rights to criticize some stupid or evil religions.
Continue reading Religion, human rights and the meaning of freedom
Pet Euthanasia
Charlie has diagnosed with lung cancer and possible cancer in other vital organs. Although it can still eat, drink and walk, he is much less active than he used to be. I have been wanting to put it to sleep in SPCA to end his suffering, but Pat object to the idea and thinks Charlie should die peacefully at home. I can imagine it is a tough decision to take your pet to SPCA, especially it grew up with you and has been accompanying you for many years.
Pat has a good friend who is a vet. She gave us some good advice on when should we put Charlie to sleep. Sometimes it is more cruel to the animal prolonging its needless suffering on the world. Here are the signs we should watch out for Charile:
- signs of coughing – lung cancer / cancer spread to lungs might cause them to cough a lot
- coughing up blood – i’m guessing if the tumour is around the throat you might notice that
- general appetite / demeanour
- check his gum colour – should be nice and pink, if it is pale (white) – if there is a tumour in the liver like a blood blister, if it pops and bleeds into the abdomen – the animal might go pale. If the colour is bluish / purplish – probably not oxygenating ok, short of breath / can’t breath properly.
- Any difficulty in breathing – take him to the vet if he does appear breathing up / colour not great / gasping for air – this is critical.
- size of belly – if they are really bleeding into the abdomen due to the popped blood blister in liver, you might notice the belly getting fatter and when you poke on it, there is a wave pattern that you can see.
Charlie has none of the above symptoms yet, so it should be able to live on for a while and and kicking around in the house. It is easier to make the touch decision if we some objective guideline on when should we say goodbye to Charlie. For the mean time, let’s feed Charlie well and let it enjoy the remaining days of its life.