Category Archives: Books & Reviews

Top Pot Doughnuts

Posted on June 30, 2010 by sinyaw

The logo said, “Hand Forged Doughnuts” with a picture of a blacksmith hitting an anvil. Hmm… A boy sat down next to us. His legs dangled happily, too short for the chair. His cute eyes trained on his dad who … Continue reading →

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Entering Stardom

Posted on March 13, 2010 by sinyaw

Warm Strangers Vienna Teng I like to be pleasantly surprised. After two CDs, I thought that would be the end of my Vienna Teng collection. I liked her music, at the same level of Charlotte Church’s first two CDs. Two … Continue reading →

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Where have all the young girls gone?

Posted on March 8, 2010 by sinyaw

In the haunting song, Where Have All The Flowers Gone by Peter, Paul, and Mary. One of the verses wonder where have all the young girls gone. Of course, the song is about anti-war and the girls were mourning their … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Reviews, China, Peek into my mind | 2 Comments

Over-hyped

Posted on March 1, 2010 by sinyaw

SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner 978-0060889579 Do Indian men really have smaller penises? Can you imagine the tease toward our brown friends? They over-hyped the book dead. … Continue reading →

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三國: 關羽宰華雄

Posted on February 17, 2010 by sinyaw

開始聽三國，總共上百回．有空聽聽，也得年把才聽的完． 曹操聚了各路諸侯，以袁紹為首伐董卓，第一個就碰到華雄．他把袁軍殺的一榻糊塗．終於關羽以馬弓手的低職，一刀取了華雄的首級，揚名立萬． 如果水滸講的是政府腐敗，三國就是政治權謀的黑暗了．曹操有名的”寧教我負天下人，休教天下人負我”． 袁術怕孫監搶功，不發糧草．孫監因此敗陣，差點丟了腦袋．三國的軍事政治鬥爭，於此舖開．

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靈劍

Posted on February 15, 2010 by sinyaw

靈劍 鄭丰 978-986-6712-74-6 靈劍是天關雙俠的前集.鄭丰被捧成”女版金庸”.神雕三部是永遠的經典,她的武俠也比的上金庸的二級作品了.靈劍的情節誨暗悽慘,鄭丰兩集都把虎嘯山莊安排的很不幸.其實”醫俠“是個很有詩意的想法,凌霄也有英雄的特質,典型武俠他不左擁右抱,稱霸武林,也至少能贏得美人歸.但鄭丰兩本都給他悲劇黑暗,這是她對武俠的突破嗎?我讀了40年武俠,還不大習慣離開那模式呢. 傳統的武功已經是超能了,鄭丰還加上了靈能及巫毒.天關裏,主角的武功平常(他是百花掌門,下毒的).這部有改善,但被天關中傳頌的大決戰,卻只有一點篇幅帶過.筆墨放在了燕龍偉大的犧牲上.可惜那過程太”成人”,鄭丰不能寫的露骨.遺憾. 武俠就是中國的007,不論如何的公式化,讀者都要能忘了這現實,看完了得不能自及的幻想自己是那英雄主角.天關還行,靈劍看完還真有點失落,沒那期待的滿足感. 鄭丰有個部落格.可以去給她加點人氣.

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New Light, Old Topics

Posted on February 6, 2010 by sinyaw

What the Dog Saw Malcolm Gladwell ISBN: 978-0316075848 This is Malcolm’s best book. I must be a Malcolm fan, having read every books he published so far. Before this one, the best was still the Tipping Point. I read others … Continue reading →

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Old People Flicks

Posted on January 30, 2010 by sinyaw

This generation that defined American’s tastes and styles is now old. Unfortunately, the new ones, call them X, Y, post-80, whatever, has not taken over the most important reign: money. No wonder entertainment industries still try to wring the last … Continue reading →

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Becoming Human

Posted on January 17, 2010 by sinyaw

Becoming Human http://www.becominghuman.org/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/beta/evolution/ PBS recently aired this 3-part series of human evolution. The style and structure are like other PBS documentary/educational programs: a narrator with impeccable voice, interviews with impressive experts, and revelations of break-through knowledge. This subject, human … Continue reading →

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水滸: 悽涼結局

Posted on January 10, 2010 by sinyaw

其實我忘了水滸的結局了. 小時候看到招安,就義憤填噟,摔書不看了. 這次耐性的一回回的聽完了. 中國的四大小說,設計都是說書的型式. iPod,正好提供聽書的環境. 戰死沙場的也就罷了,船伙張橫的英魂,武松的左手,都令人嘆息. 但那是打戰的代價. 方臘那邊,不也死了許多嗎? 平方臘後,水滸散將,一個個走了. 李俊赴船出海. 武松出家. 燕青也消遙而去. 這些都能令人暗嘆佩服. 但宋江,盧俊義被奸黨毒害,沒得好死. 是不是施耐庵暗示宋江的領導錯誤? 只是陪上了李逵,花榮,當了副將. 最悽涼的是吳用. 他雖無武功,但在梁山,征南,宋江給了他舞台. 從此只是一介文人,滿腹雄韜,沒有發揮的可能. 那就罷了. 現在連能說話的朋友都沒了. 於是鬱悶到了無生趣,自盡忠義堂. 水滸悲劇,給人最大的感嘆,是英雄慘死,奸黨得勝. 讀者及聽眾的不平,也就是水滸流傳不衰的重點原因了. 這是我重讀四大小說的第一本. 老實說,我紅樓從來沒看完過,也不會去看了. 但三國西遊,現在十分嚮往開讀哦.

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