Today is the Chinese New Year. I wish all the readers of my blog a prosperous year of pig. Here in Vancouver, we don’t really have the atomsphere for celebrating of Chinese New Year, except that the Chinese TV is showing special new year program all day long, the Chinese radio is playing those boring new year songs and we will say “Kung Hei Fat Choy” to friends. Without the 3 days long public holidays as in HK, the Chinese New Year is just seem like a normal weekend to me. This year is the year of pig, however the TV stations in China refrain from showing the lucky pig on TV. Out of political correctness, some stupid officials in communist government think showing the sign of pigs will offend the Muslim minority in China, thus may cause social unrest. First of all, although Muslim regards pig as unholy, the officials are simpily worrying too much. The enlightened Muslim would know to respect the Chinese culture and lives peacefully in the year of pig. There may be a few retarded Muslim consider the year of pig offending, but they are the one should change their mind. The majority should not bend to a few obscured mind minority. In the matter of fact, other than some random writing from an ancient book, the Muslims has no reason to dislike pig in the first place. Rather than forbidding showing pigs in TV, the Chinese governmetn should call to moderize Muslim in China, encourage the Muslims to embrace pig by correcting the obvious mistaken teaching regarding pigs in Koran. Just like we have a chinese style socialism, which is essentially capitalism, we should also have a chinese style muslim, in which the believers can enjoy pork and alcohol.
I have the regular maintance for my Volvo and the dealer gave me a 2007 S60 as the service car. It is nice able to test drive a S60. The S60 is smaller than my S70. Actually it is so small that it doesn’t feel like a Volvo. The handling and control is very Volvo like, a big car with lots of momentum. I don’t like the interior design. The middle section with the radio control panel and gear shift is too big. The interface for the AC and radio is not very user friendly. The buttons and knobs are too small and left too much empty space on the panel. S60 pretend to be stylish by making the top of the car narrower than the body, as a result the inside of the car is not very roomy. There is a very interesting feature of this car. There is button to fold down the head rest of the back seats, so it won’t block the rear window. When the head rest is release by unlocking the spring, so it can snap forward. If someone is sitting at the back, his head will be spanked. I tried it during lunch time when I was giving a ride to my friends. I guess it is quite a useful feature to spank the naugty kids at the back. In short, I found the S60 is not very comfortable. Although my S70 is a older model with the box-shape design, I think it is a much better car than the new S60.
Six Sigma的名字很嚇人﹐蠻高深似的﹐一大堆什麼黑帶﹐綠帶﹐冠軍團隊的術語。說穿了其實只是新瓶舊酒﹐把以客觀數據為基礎的管理方法﹐重新包裝得漂亮吸引﹐內容沒有一項在大學管理入門沒有教過的。一來可以收取高昂的顧問費﹐二來然而管理方法雖然簡單顯淺﹐但要向高層推銷並落實報行﹐這些華麗富學術性的包裝是必須的。Sigma是希臘字母δ﹐在統計學上代表Standard Deviation﹐用來量度誤差率。目標的質素定在六個δ﹐就是要誤差率少於0.03%﹐要做到差不多完美。Six Sigma管理方法就是提升公司的效率﹐如何才可以達到六個δ的標準。
Sig Sigma強調跨部門之間的合作﹐任何決定也必須作充份的數據分析 ﹐著重改變公司內部的處事方法﹐建立一套可持之以恆的系統。正如所有管理方法改革一樣﹐可隨高層的喜好在不同范圍試驗推行﹐上至整間公司一夜間改行新方法﹐下至一個部門或單一計畫當白老鼠也可以。不過Six Sigma方法強調一點﹐就是推行改革必須要有高層作後台﹐甚至有必要讓高層把自己的前途賭在改革上﹐不然改革注定失敗。這個是想當然的常識﹐企業改革又不是攪無產階級革命﹐何曾見過由草根階層發現的企業改革﹖選定要改革的項目後﹐就可以從公司各部門抽調手來﹐組成一支Six Sigma團隊。這個團隊有五個重要工作﹐首先釐清問題﹐將問題轉化成客觀的指標﹐第二步是收集數據﹐不放過任何有關連的資料。接著第三步是分析數據﹐找出問題的成因。第四步是提出改善方法﹐並重複這幾步真至達到指標。最後就是功成身退﹐待新系統上軌道後﹐就把日常運作交回營運人員手上。
看「生日快樂」這套電影的觀眾有兩類人﹐第一類被故事深深感動﹐在散場時還會哭成淚人。第二類人在整套戲中也呵欠連連﹐差點沒有被過慢的劇情悶死﹐很不幸 我是後者。這套電影改編自劉若英的短篇小說﹐不過原著是什麼不重要﹐重要是張艾嘉編劇﹐馬楚成執導。讓我期待著這套電影會是繼「心動」 後﹐另一齣精緻愛情小品的經典。不過很可惜礙於劇本先天性不足﹐這齣電影只能拍出一場場浪漫的情景﹐但觀眾不夠把感情思緒連接起來組成動人的故事。故事主 線沒有預告中細水長流的感情﹐只有兩個感情白痴的主角﹐拖拖拉拉的藕斷絲連長達十年之久。若果最後結局出人意表寓意深長﹐還可以挽救這整套戲的沉悶﹐騙自 己說不是電影拍得不好﹐只是我不懂欣賞。結局竟然是最老土俗套的絕症橋段﹐先前細心經營的淡淡憂鬱氣氛一下子消散了﹐換上防暴警察用催淚彈﹐欺騙眼淺觀眾 的熱淚。
