Since I moved downstairs to the new department, I have acquired a new habit of drinking afternoon tea. One of my colleague is a big fan of tea. She has a full set of tea pot, different kinds of tea leafs, herbs, flowers stocked at work. It used to have a group of tea lovers hang around her cubicle every day for a cup of freshly made tea. They joked that she is the chairman of the tea lovers’ club. I was sitting in the different floor back then, I was too lazy to walk downstairs just to have some tea. As the old gangs left the company, the old tea lover’s club seize to function. It is too much to brew a big pot of tea just for yourself. Now, I am just a few cubicles away from her, I took the trouble to boil water, then bug her to prepare the tea every day. She decided to give the tea lover’s club a new name, and coined “PMC Tea Pub”, which she think is cool. Membership for the PMC Tea Pub is free, but it is self service, members have to boil the water and pour the tea themselves. There is a list of ingredient in stocked sticked on the cubicle wall. Member can specify their taste or just enjoy the daily special made by the owner. The tea pub is small but growing. It has 3 members including the owner at the moment. Drinking nicely brew tea at work is always better than buying generic coffee from Starbucks in the cafe.
大國崛起
大陸中共官方拍輯的電視節目﹐一向充滿黨宣傳機器的腐陳沉悶味道。去年在十七大前在中央電視台播出的記錄片「大國崛起」﹐卻給人耳目一新的感覺。這節目不單製作精美內容嚴緊﹐雖與外國BBC或PBS記錄片的水準還有一段距離﹐歷史資料大致也上客觀中肯﹐總算觀眾看起來不會反胃嘔心。今年無線慶祝香港回歸十週年﹐七月起播出這套「大國崛起」﹐還請來狄娜小姐配上廣東話。我是看網上下載的原裝國語版﹐無從比較那兩個版本的優劣。有人也許說中央想藉此洗香港人的腦﹐那只是杞人憂天的陰謀論。用平常心去看待「大國崛起」﹐不計明珠台或有線的配音記錄片﹐大慨這是香港近幾年最有教育意義的中文電視節目。只是知識含量高正經八百的節目﹐在幾百萬人追看垃圾肥皂劇「溏心風暴」的香港社會﹐會有市場嗎﹖
「大國崛起」記錄了九國世界級大國崛起的經過。節目內容主要由旁述像大學教授上歷史課般道出來﹐在某些需要權威人士背書的重要觀點﹐則訪問各國的大學教授歷史研究學者。聲音與畫面可以獨立分開來看﹐有些片段似是介紹風光明勝的旅遊特輯﹐有些則似是介紹名畫古董的文化節目﹐有些片段則直接從新聞舊片剪輯出來﹐還有些片段採用很遜的電腦動畫﹐畫面的質素只是勉強合格。這個節目中介紹的歷史資料﹐大慨應該屬於初中西洋史的課程﹐只是當年學習過的知識早已還給老師﹐所以看起來也頗為津津有味。
頭兩集講述西班牙和葡萄牙的航海世紀﹐荷蘭的金融制度最好看﹐因為我最不熟悉這三個早期大國的歷史。法國﹐德國和日本只算是普通大國﹐各佔一集的篇幅。這三個國家崛起的經過雖然各有不同﹐法國是大革命的自由平等博愛思想﹐德國是重視國民教育和鐵血宰相統一國家﹐日本則是務洋運動﹐最終這三個國家也落得戰敗的下場。 英國﹐美國﹐蘇聯這三個超級大國﹐因為太多有歷史資料﹐需要各佔二集的篇幅。偏偏這三個國家的歷史我最熟悉﹐節目中所講的知識早己耳熟能詳﹐所以看起覺得太淺有點興趣缺缺。「大國崛起」在介紹這三個國家時﹐在細微之處還是露出作為共產黨喉舌的馬腳。 在說英美資本主義自由經濟成功時﹐不忘一踩腳說這帶來貧富懸殊的社會問題。在說蘇聯五年計劃的成功時﹐卻對社會上同樣的不公義避重就輕不加以批評。
古語有云﹐以銅為鏡﹐可正衣冠﹐以史為鏡﹐可知興替。不論在中國或海外﹐這節目引起不少政治分析家的留意﹐他們認為從這個節目的主旋律中﹐可以估計中共高層的心意﹐預測中國未來的發展路向。在節目的最後一集﹐總結九個大國崛起的經驗﹐央視旁述所採納的立場﹐與我的個人觀看心得有明顯的差異。重視教育和科學研究這兩項崛起的基本條件﹐當然全人類也不會有異議。旁述引用德國﹐日本﹐蘇聯的經驗﹐強調國家必需要統一﹐用國家力量集中資源調配的重要性。這三個國家有一個共通點﹐都是發展起步較遲的國家﹐集中資源的確可以在短時間內追上其他國家。可是英國﹐美國﹐荷蘭﹐行的是一條截然不同的崛起之路。他們沒有可以追趕妨效的對象﹐崛起全靠制度和科技的創新﹐而創新的果實只能生長在自由的土壤﹐這是中央規劃不能供給的養份。中國短期內以中央雞精去趨谷發展沒有大問題﹐但長遠而言當生產力追上其他國家後﹐若不成功過渡至英美的自由發展模式﹐則可能會步上德日以軍事力量去征服他國的不歸路。
Guns and Ammo Magazine
Finally, I am able to find some firearm magazine in Save On Food, thanks to the tips from Jackson. I am too cheap to buy an issue, so I just stand there and read all four firearm magazine they have. What interest me is not only the articles, but also the advertisement. Too bad that those magazine are published in the States, many firearms in the magazines are prohibited in Canada. Out of the four magazines, one magazine focus on hunting and rifle guns. I want to try hunting at least once, but I am not a very outdoor person, and I don’t know how to dispose the moose even if shot one. Another magazine is targeted law enforcement readers. It has police stories and review on various police equipment. Another one is focus on ammunitions, talk about how to reload cartages yourself, the ballistic of different bands of bullets, etc. There is only one firearm magazine for general reader, the Guns and Ammo Magazine. It has product review, columns, history of classic firearms, shooting and cleaning tips and lots of advertisements, a perfect firearm guide for beginner. Even better is that the magazine publishes all its articles on their website. It like hitting a treasure chest of firearm knowledge. I have learned operating theory of firearms from the safety course, now I need to get familiar with different bands of gun manufacturers and gun models. Just like people need to get some fashion sense to buy decent clothes, a self respectable gun owner should acquire some firearm sense.
Transformers 變型金剛
對於八十年代長大的男孩﹐「變型金剛」肯定一個集體回憶的標記。這套美國動畫風靡全世界﹐每個小孩對它的玩具更是趨之若鶩。那些可以變身作機械人的汽車飛機﹐陪伴很多男孩渡過美好的童年。雖然「變型金剛」每隔一段日子就推出新一輯的動畫﹐但後來的新作絕不能取代第一代「變型金剛」的經典地位。當我們這代「變型金剛」迷聽到史蒂芬史匹堡開拍「變型金剛」真人版電影時﹐真的又驚又喜。歡喜是因為等了這麼多年﹐「變型金剛」卒之有機會搬上大銀幕﹐佷有興趣知道機械人會如何電腦特技化。驚的是因為恐怕「變型金剛」﹐會步上其他荷里活改篇電影的後塵﹐給刪改得面目全非失去原有色彩。觀眾對這套電影的評價很兩極化﹐連「變型金剛」多年的忠心支持者也意見分歧。我對這齣電影又愛又恨﹐愛它拍出了我預期的「變型金剛」﹐也恨它拍出我預期的「變型金剛」。不論電影的優點和缺點﹐從故事細節到場面設計﹐完全在預期之內。百分百完全美地執行﹐可惜欠缺一絲意外驚喜。
開宗明義「變型金剛」是一套絕對公式化的美式動作片﹐不要期望任何有深度的對白劇情。從開場美軍基地遇襲開始﹐緊接著二個半小時絕無冷場。變型機械人的動作特效故然讓人讚不絕口﹐動作場面之間穿插過場的笑料﹐雖然有點低俗無聊白痴﹐總算讓觀眾捧腹大笑。電影中的世界很簡單是非對錯黑白分明﹐愛護和平的博派機械人保護地球﹐決戰要毀滅地球的狂派的邪惡機械人。劇情犯駁疑點重重﹐觀眾大可不用理會﹐反正沒有人會對動作片的劇情有任何期望。戲中出現的大量廣告也可以容忍﹐沒有廣告商的讚助﹐何來那些燒銀紙堆砌出來的電腦特技。戲中全部人類也是大配角﹐那些寂寂無名的三線演員的演技不用費心批評﹐機械人才是這套戲的真正主角。
在最初電影公司發佈新的機械設計時﹐大部份「變型金剛」支持者為之嘩然。我們熟悉的柯柏文﹐麥加登﹐星星叫﹐大黃蜂﹐怎麼變成了一堆賣相古怪的爛鐵。其實新機械人的設計只是太過前衛﹐看了二十年舊設計一時不習慣。在網上看靜態照片也許覺得他們很醜陋﹐當他們在電影中活動起來時﹐機械人身體上的微細部件充滿動感﹐給人另一種裁然不同的感覺﹐舊擁躉立即認並可接受新機械設計。若是要批評的話﹐新設計唯一的缺點就是太過複雜精緻﹐變型系統不可能忠誠地再現在玩具上。新設計承續舊設計的傳統神萃﹐只是把變型前外觀加以的現代化。柯柏文仍然是貨櫃車﹐大黃蜂還是黃色的小汽車﹐星星叫從F15升級為F22﹐唯一例外是麥加登不再是P38手槍﹐變成了不知所謂的外星戰機。電影中的大部份機械人設計很出色﹐好人博派變身前是民用汽車﹐壞人狂派變身前則是軍車坦克。戲中第一個出場的直升機機械人是電影原創角色﹐也是我最欣嘗最帥氣的機械設計。可惜片中有些狂派的機械設計很失敗﹐例如有一隻不會變型的機械蠍子﹐幾隻變身後成為非人型機械怪物的唱機和手提電話。
這齣電影的導演出於商業考濾﹐加插以人類為中心的情節也無可厚非﹐若全部也是機械人打鬥﹐除了我們這班舊擁躉﹐便吸引不到新一代觀眾﹐特別是女性觀眾入場。舊版「變型金剛」中的世界觀複雜遼闊﹐前後七十多集電視再加上電影﹐不可以全部塞進短短二個半小時的新電影版內﹐故事背景要作出精簡取捨也很合理﹐不然新觀眾會看得一頭霧水。在吸引新觀眾入場之餘﹐導演也花很多心思照顧老影迷﹐在影片多處不經意地加入只有老影迷才明白的寶物。電影為博派首領柯柏文找來原裝配音﹐戲中對白有不少舊版中的名句。機械人在變型時除了金屬聲外﹐還加插舊版的變型音效。大黃蜂在二手車寄賣場那裏﹐旁邊就停泊了一輛黃色舊甲蟲車﹐那是他舊版原本的造型。同樣柯柏文第一次與男孩見面的時候﹐背景也有一台他舊版造型的貨櫃車。
在這個充斥續集電影的暑假﹐若壓倦了每年也看同樣的電影﹐「變型金剛」絕對是一個好選擇。史匹堡的夢工廠製作室﹐已經決定了零九年上映第二集﹐希望在下一集的「變型金剛」中﹐機械人會有更多的出鏡機會﹐可以讓觀眾深入了解每個機械人的個性。
Workspace spying
Today I helped one of my superior spy on another colleague’s workspace in the network. The spying does not involve any hacking or illegal activities. All you need to know is where his files are stored in the network. We suspect this guy is lying about his work progress. In his status report, he claims everything is on-track, but we found out he haven’t touch his files for almost a week. The network is the only place any work can be done relate to the project, so what has he been doing?
Spying others workspace is probably the worst way of progress tracking. It violates the trust among colleagues. In normal situations, I would rather have the objectives stated clearly, ask him to make a release of his work and assign someone to do the audit. Yet, sometimes spying unavoidable and it is the last resort to get things under control.
The guy whom we spied on works in a remote office and is already laid off a few months ago. His last day of work is the end of this month. Somehow the managers high up think they can squeeze productivity out of him for whatever reason. When we ask for more body, we got this guy suppose to worth two man months of human resources. This guy is already fired, so we can’t threaten to fire him again for their poor job. His termination package is not tied to his performance, so we cannot give any incentive for him to work hard. Before he walk out of the door, he already got job offers with huge pay raise lining up. Only idiots would think zombies can get any real work done.