A Mac experience

I am in the process of buying a new computer. My old PC has been with me for almost 3 years and is fast approaching its "Used by" date. I know that my next computer will be a Mac.

When I was younger (oh, the good ole' days), I liked buying custom assembled PCs, so that I got to choose the components I want my computer to have. And because I was a poor student and back then computers are quite expensive, I was able to balance the cost and the features this way. I had plenty of time back then as well, so I could do a lot of tweaking myself. Installing, uninstalling a lot of stuff as I wished. I remember when I first discovered Linux (It was Redhat 6.0), I used to spend days to install, uninstall, compile kernels to build up a usable computer system (yes, my computer back then was consistently unusable). Back then, I had no family, no kids, job was simple, had plenty of time learning about computers inside out. But now, I simply just don't have the time to "look after" my computers. Computers to me now are just like any other house hold electric appliances. Like TVs, DVD players or Wii consoles, I shouldn't have to "look after" them to make them do things I bought them for. A Mac, in my opinion, does just that. At least Apple is making its computers do just that. ... "It just works". By dropping "computer" from its company name, Apple is clearly heading to the right direction.

And mind you, I am not a Mac user ...at least not yet. My latest experience with an Apple product is my new shinny iPod Touch and I absolutely love it. It has the only mobile web browser that I can ACTUALLY use to browse the web. The screen is big enough for serious TV and Movie viewing. And there are so much more this shinny thing can do, I am actually WAITING for the upcoming 2.0 firmware upgrade. And I think Apple's complete closed approach to third party iPhone/iTouch applications a good thing (To think that I am a GNU/Linux user for the last 10+ years) . Let's face it, there are geeks who will absolutely hate this, but for rest of the users, do they really give a damn? I doubt so. My customer serving experience tells me that all the customers care is "it should just work". And guess what will happen with Apple's closed approach to third party applications? Not surprisingly, they will "just work"(they better do, otherwise Apple will just kick them out of iTune).

There is an article on Slashdot about "How Apple Got Everything Right By Doing Everything Wrong". In my opinion, maybe it is not Apple that is doing everything wrong, maybe it is all the other companies still don't get it. Computers nowadays (and when I say Computer, i mean both the hardware and the operating system) should just be house hold appliances. Special computers will be built for special needs(e.g. for software developers, digital artists ... etc), but for the majority of computer users, a computer should be no different from a TV set, or a microwave oven. It should allow users to manage their daily digital routines such as Web browsing, e-mailing, documenting ... and that should be it. And here is a prediction .... in the next few years, we shall see the slow death of PCs in their current form. Computers like iMac and Mac mini will dominate the market. and people won't care about the OS war no more because by then, it should be totally transparent to the end users.

他们和我们

"I see dumb people, they are everywhere. Walking around like regular people. They don't see each other. They only see what they want to see. They don't know they're dumb."

他们
四月十三号，礼拜天，大约有5000人在悉尼市中心举行了示威游行。抗议西方对中国西藏暴乱的“片面的”和“负面的”报道，以及由此（还有其它事件）引起的对奥运火炬接力的阻扰。
5000人的游行可以说是比较大的事件了，尤其是和几天前刚刚发生的藏人举行的示威游行比。对于这样的事件，媒体应该会有一些报道。事实上是澳洲几乎所有的主流媒体都对此保持沉默。只有ABC和另一家媒体有一点点报道。我是从BBC上才知道有这回事的。相比几天前澳洲主流媒体对藏人示威事件的报道，不管这些媒体的初衷是什么，他们对这个事件的态度让人不得不往“片面”和“负面”这样的字眼上想。西方的媒体是不受政府或者是政党控制的。但是这不能说西方的媒体是完全自由的和公正的，事实上西方的媒体至少要受两方面的影响。一就是他的受众（不知道这个词用的对不对），也就是市场的影响，还有就是受他本身的政治倾向。第一点由于这几年的“大报小报化”以及互联网的影响，表现的格外明显。第二点应该是历史上一直存在的，近年来由于政治观点分化的加大（左派更左，右派更右），这个的表现也越来越明显了。其实作为媒体（尤其是新闻媒体），是不该受这些左右的，而且西方媒体在这方面做的是很好的。但是对于中国，情况就有一点不同。我把原因归咎于因为中国姓“共”。也就是说，我认为西方的主流媒体的确没有完全走出“冷战”思维。这个思维是逻辑是这样的

1. 共产党国家都是警察国家，而且是一成不变的。
2. 在警察国家里是不可能有自由的。
3. 没有自由的人民都是受国家控制的，包括人民的观点，情绪等等。
4. 所以人民表达出的观点和情绪是共产党国家强加的或“洗脑”的结果。
5. 所以这些观点和情绪实际上都是共产党国家的观点和情绪
6. 所以对这些观点和情绪是不应该报道的或者是应该做负面报道的。

这个思维的反方向就是“凡是”反对共产党国家的观点和情绪都是需要报道的。对中国人在悉尼的示威游行是好事还是坏事不在讨论范围内，但做为新闻媒体因为某种原因对此视而不见，我不认为这是“公正”和“平衡”的。

我们
最近出的事比较多，先是奥运火炬（我们中华帝国为了表示对蛮夷的尊重把这个东东叫做“圣火”）传递遇到重重阻碍，本来挺好的马拉松硬是变成橄榄球了。再有就是CNN的某人说我们（或我们的政府或BOTH）是无赖和流氓，中国人民（或政府或BOTH）震怒了。于是发生了针对老牌帝国主义国家法国，美国（也叫米国）和英国的坚强不屈的。。抗议。

• 抗议1：我们好不容易举行了奥运会，你们为啥子见不得我们好？我们也不让你们好过，我们抵制你们的货。就算你们的货是我们的奴隶工做的，我们照样抵制，义无反顾。
• 抗议2：谁他妈的敢说CHINA或CHINESE和无赖和流氓，老子们就和他不共戴天。哪怕他只是个电视节目主持人（我注：也就是在娱乐界混的主儿）。
• 抗议3：你们的新闻是片面的，带有偏见的。所以我要操你妈！

以这个形式发展下去，火烧赵家楼也就是迟早的事---也许不是，不过大家都想烧了一个叫王千源的女孩家的楼了，也许还有金晶家的--看她的悔过表现再说。汉奸嘛，中国人人人都可以操的。历史上一向如此的。什么是汉奸？简单的很，反对我们的都是汉奸。

我们中国人过了上千年的阳痿的日子，后来又有了“八国联军”情结和“日本鬼子”情结（这些情结我以后会解释的），萎到不行了，“义和团”了一把，可是立刻就被灭掉了。现在好了，我们迎来了“盛世”，对还敢和我们造次的蛮夷，我们一定要一操到底！这个也算是可以理解的吧。不过一方面想要和人家“倒插门”，一方面又高呼“老子强奸了你！”，这样的作为。。。我看好像还是处于“阳痿”阶段，这些作为也可以算是GOONS AND THUGS做的事了。（申明：我不知道GOONS AND THUGS是什么意思，本人夷文不好！）

至于我们的皇上是不是会变成希特勒，我们中华帝国会不会变成法西斯帝国。我不知道。不过我知道我们愤怒的年轻人在抗议的时候有高呼“中国共产党万岁！”的。其他的事情我就不清楚了。

补：今天才看到我们的张朝阳关于“抵制法国货”的讲话。现在试总结如下“老子花了那么多钱还没把你搞定，那老子就不客气了！兄弟们给我“抵”，我们还就做定GOONS AND THUGS了，怎么着？你丫敢不服！”。想想张朝阳是我们中华帝国所谓的“精英”人物，愤青高呼“中国共产党万岁！”也就没什么奇怪的了。我几乎从来不看搜狐，这个“几乎”看样子是不需要的了。

不分级的中国电影及其它。

中学生时代正值青春期，当时有一部电影叫做“寡妇村”是所谓“少儿不宜”的东东，记得好多朋友不知廉耻地去看了那个我们不宜的东西。现在想起来，那个无聊的电影里唯一不宜少儿的镜头好像就是有个女人露背的镜头，当然还有整个电影的“SEX REFERENCE”，在西方的话大概会是个PG级的东西。不过我们中国有我们的特色，我们信任我们的少儿的道德，我们要对分级说不。遗憾的是我们辜负了大家对我们的信任。
现在好了，我们的新的青春期少年不用再去看那些打着“少儿不宜”的破烂货来满足青春期的骚动了，看看我们的互联网，随便哪个和党中央关系远一点的网站上都充满了那些什么“偷拍”，“自拍”。。等等的洋人们叫做“SOFT PORN”的东东。要是还不信，在百度贴吧或者是谷歌上查查“色戒”就知道了，我们的媒体警察CUT掉的“少儿不宜”的东西，被放到了互联网上，“少儿”们可以随意看。而且更好，不用非要看完一部无聊的电影。那个“不宜”的东东，被分开来放的，如果“少儿”们愿意，他们可以只看这个不宜的部分。好像那个戏班头在“霸王别姬”里说的。。。“你们是赶上好日子了！！！”。

改革开放了这么多年了，“二奶”都快要进词典了，我们的媒体警察还是要对分级说不，也难得了他们对我们的“少儿”们的一成不变的信任。



仔细想想呢，中国的电影的确不能分级。我们是“圣人”辈出的地方，现在又是“社会主义”国家。我们的文艺，怎么可能有那些乌七八糟的东西？一分级不就等于是承认我们的“社会主义”文艺也有XXX级的东西，也有“少儿不宜”;-)的东西了吗？所以一定不能分级。而且同理可证我们社会主义中国没有“艾滋病”，很长一段时间没有同性恋，很长时间没有“黑社会”，没有妓女，甚至没有失业。我们宁可要痛苦的”艾滋村“，被当成神经病的同性恋者，横行乡里的流氓地痞，在社会之外痛苦挣扎的最不幸的别人玩弄的女性，也不要诚实地承认自己的“非圣人”。
再仔细想想呢，这个“自欺欺人”的哲学是我们这个“伪君子”国自古就有的东东了。我们这个“圣人”辈出的地方，最擅长的就是和我们的人性做斗争。我们没有宗教，我们有比宗教更可怕的道德约束，而且这个道德约束是以所谓的“传统”的面目出现的。
互联网是我们现在最好的朋友。让我们一起用互联网的公平和开放把我们这个“伪君子”国的真正面目揭开。只有到那个时候，鲁迅先生的“救救孩子！”的呼喊才可以真正实现。也只有到那个时候，我们的少儿才可以真正看到他们“宜”的东西。

V for Very ... Bunnish?

People, there are things beyond our comprehensions. Like how the Universe comes to be and how Einstein's theory of relativity actually works, and why people would pay millions of dollars to buy unrecognizable objects painted by some Spanish name Picasso. In this article, I am going to talk about something that has bothered my brain for a very very long time.

To start with, I will show you a picture. Look at the picture below, it shows an Asian bloke and his girlfriend with some kind of animal (a pelican if i am not mistaken).


Nothing spectacular, but looking closer, you will notice this guy was holding up his hand and there are two fingers erected to form a shape somehow similar to the Latin alphabet "V". And the thing I could not understand is, why this? why "V".

Wikipedia told us the "V" sign means "Victory", if this is true, then I don't understand why he (the Asian bloke) considered standing with animal such as this Pelican (and with his girlfriend) a "Victory". Was it because he considered his girlfriend much cuter than this very ugly bird? Or he felt Victorious because as a member of the Human specie, he felt over whelmingly superior over a stupid, uncivilized pet of us?

NO, NO, NO! Said some sources close to these V gesturers. The "V" shaped hand gesture actually is not a "V" at all. It is, in fact, a symbol of "Cuteness". How? One might pray to know. Well, according to our source, holding up two fingers in some way resembles a bunny (or a hare) with two erected long ears. And because bunnies are cute, so that by making a bunny like hand gesture makes you cute. Very LOGICAL, I have to admit. Now my only question is.... why do it when photograhed with an animal, or with almost EVERYTHING! ... Maybe it has nothing to do with OTHER THINGS in the photo?! Can someone tell me?

感动

几天前和一个朋友谈起了中国的雪灾。他是湖南人，是受灾比较严重的地方。他告诉我当地的官员都不是东西，救灾无力。后来还是温家宝总理亲自到湖南去（去了两次？）才把救灾的事情落实。“大家都很感动！”朋友说这个话的时候很激动。
另一个朋友告诉我说在网上看到一个帖子，说是他们一家（发帖子的人）在电视上看到温家宝总理到灾区去看望灾民，他们一家都“感动”地哭了。
:-)我们中国人民的命真好呀，摊上了温家宝这样一个好总理。仔细再想想，我们中国人民的命一向很好，我们有周总理，邓（副）总理，赵总理，朱总理。现在又有了温总理。我们总是有“包公”为我们主持正义的。不管受多大的苦难，那都是下面的（小）贪官们造成的。只要包大人一到，尚方宝剑一祭出，顿时就是阳光普照，大家都沉浸在无限的幸福之中。（小）贪官们吓得是屁滚尿流，有时还要人头落地（当然，现在我们不砍头了），人民们最终就扬眉吐气了也！
当然，这个是世道好的时候，也就是“盛世”的时候。世道不好，或者是非“盛世”的时候，中国人民也不要怕，我们有“大侠”。大侠一到，青龙刀一祭出，顿时就是鸟语花香，大家都沉浸在极度的兴奋中。（小）贪官们的人头是要落下不少的，加上“大侠”多半还有一些些官方背景，人民不用担心官方会秋后算账，所以大多也可以扬眉吐气了。

有了这个知识，就可以理解当我告诉我的朋友，这个没有什么好感动的时候，他认为我是个地地道道的“龟头”（dickhead)。当然做了“龟头”的我立刻做了“龟头”应该做的事。就是缩回到了一个好地方。

听说，有人看了那个“感动地哭了”的帖子以后回帖云“看了你的帖子，我哭了！”。这哥们儿大概也是被感动的哭了吧。什么？你说不是？你他妈到底是不是中国人？！

T with pictures

It was a typical Sydney summer day. It was sunny, everyone was going to the beach to get burned. Men were wearing flamboyant beach shorts, sunnies either on their nose or their head depend on their sense of fashion. Some with dog(s), some with kid(s). Women with bikinis, big Paris Hilton sun glasses, tanned and proud. And everyone was wearing their favorite T (except, of course, these hotties with bikini and these hairy animals with ...hairs on their chest ... you know what i am talking about right?)

I was there, as any average Aussie male. T, sunnies, shorts and thong. I went for a beach walk from Coogee to Bondi and was enjoying it. Then I noticed there were looking at me ... from females. And ... were they the nastiest looks I have ever got. Hi ladies, what've I done to deserve this? I was puzzled then realized ... they gave me this nasty look because I was, as a very curious guy, looking at their T shirts. You know this kind of T shirts. They are supposed to be artistic, others are supposed to to alternative (or cool). Some have abstract art work printed on it, some have cute pictures and some have words printed on them. But ... that is not the problem. This problem is .... they print these bloody things on this particular place of the T shirt that is under the neck and just above the belly, where, dare I say, the most beautiful pcs of female body part reside.

So, hold on a moment, my dear ladies. As much as I love this particular part of the female body I am not of the perversive kind. What I was looking at are these art works on your T shirt, abstract or alternative. and the words written on them too. The damn thing is that you need a really really sharp eye and a very very fast braind to make sense of those things without looking at them for too long. And me for one possess neither. I need to put my eyes on them for at least half a minitue to actually make out what the hell the supposed artistic or alternative art was all about. As a non native English speaker, it would take me twice as long to understand the words. The worst thing is they put word games on T shirts, in this case, I need to read them again and again and again to get them. And being such a curious guy, I can hardly resist the temptation, not of the flesh but of the things on T shirts.

So, T shirt designers and manufactures. Listen up. If you really really want to put art work on T shirts, please put them on a different place where one can look at them as long as they want without offending people. AND ... never put more than 4 words on T shirts... ever.

Meanwhile, next time I go to a beach, I will make sure I wear a pair of very thick sun glasses. This may help a bit .. ;-)

随便的一篇

有多半年没有写博了。想写的东西是很多的，可是一是本人比较懒，二是本人是三个孩子的父亲了，再有就是工作是有点忙的，还有就是要做的事情太多了，比如赚钱：-）。。。总之，没有写博的理由是很多的，虽然不知道到有没有人读我的博，但是总还是要给自己一个交代吧，所以今天又开始写了，希望可以保持一个月2-3篇。是我新年计划（NY's resolutions）的一部分吧。

去年十月份回中国去看父母，呆了一个多月，除了看到了祖国的美好风光以外（和不太美好的风光），我知道了一些国内的地上地下的音乐，我前前后后听了左小祖咒，沙子乐队，李志，子曰，幸福大道，龙宽九段。还第一次听了所谓“超女”和“XX男”的东东。感觉挺好的。

我喜欢左小祖咒。今天就讲左小祖咒。

听他的东西让我想起另外一个我很喜欢的音乐人（音乐人？是什么样的人？）金武林。老金的唯一的一张唱片《严肃音乐》是我最喜欢的唱片之一。我喜欢他把自己的音乐叫做《严肃音乐》，虽然他在那里是流里流气（使用这个词再次证明了我70后的身份）地唱着，可是他的音乐是严肃地，严肃地做出来的。不是随随便便的为了应景写出来的徐沛东之流的玩意儿。只有用心做出来的东西才是严肃的，严肃的东西不一定是要板着脸的。（说到这，我觉得中文把serious翻译成严肃并不完全正确）

左小祖咒的东西就是严肃的。恬着脸无耻地笑着的那种严肃。看着左小祖咒戴着帽子的照片的照片的第一印象就是这个人没正经，但是好玩儿正是他的歌词出彩的地方。好玩儿但是致命的严肃。所以我说要听他的音乐人人都应该戴一顶不合时宜的帽子，或者在室内带上太阳眼镜，下雨天穿棉衣，下雪天穿汗背心。为什么？不为什么！就是好玩儿，就是和这个世界开个玩笑。世界这么大，小小的左小祖咒式的玩笑还是可以接受的。

不知道什么时候开始，有个叫崔健的人变成了中国“摇滚乐”的“教父”。先不说中国的“摇滚界”是不是黑社会，崔健到把这个“教父”太当真了。把帽子当真了，总不是什么好玩的事。老崔也好玩儿过，他的“解决”现在还是我的最爱之一（最爱。。之一？）。大概是当了“教父”的原因吧，老崔也开始板着脸教训人了。叫大家都不要假唱还说的过去，在《给你一点颜色》里教育大家什么是红兰绿就过分了吧？！咱们中国人（用崔氏天津话说）不缺这个教育。还不如去写点“我的病就是没有感觉”。

这一篇就瞎扯一下音乐什么的吧。下次希望可以写点别的东西。好了，until next time, good bye!