奇怪. 曹操一世奸雄,才以少勝多,贏了袁紹. 回頭來大兵打劉備,孫權,卻又被他們少勝多打敗. 三國中,赤壁是最精彩的一段鬥智.
首先孔明”舌戰群雄”. 反面,曹操下個”檄文”,逼腦了孫權. 一來一回,促成孫劉聯盟.
第二是中了周瑜計,錯殺了蔡瑁,張允. 曹兵中沒了水戰人才. 這點是他準備不週,要打東吳,怎能沒水將呢? 沒帶一個來,也得練個出來啊.
第三是又中了周瑜的”打黃蓋”苦肉計,加上龐統的”連環計”把船綁在一起,墊下日後被火攻的種子. 這點倒不能怪曹操,冬天不該有東南風,東吳不該有火攻的可能.
所有的成敗,都是一連串的事件,一步步演出來的. 曹操連錯三步,但有十倍兵力. 應該還是穩操勝算的. 赤壁的最後決勝,在孔明的”借東風”. 小說裏寫成如鬼似神. 不論如何,這是決定的關鍵. 但是曹操再意料不到,他為什麼連提防都沒呢? 在江上要滅火應該不難,鐵環連鎖,也應該能解. 但兩步都沒準備.
一語道之,驕兵大意.
The table of contents aims to rouse curiosity. It promises to reveal the prices of life, happiness, and even women! Further, it goes into areas that make you very curious. What’s the price for “free?” Isn’t the answer obviously zero? Eduardo Porter used the word price and cost interchangeably and the answer is therefore anything but.
Eduardo Porter was never going to reveal the prices of those. This is yet another new behavior economy books popularized by Freaknomics. The book tried to explain society through the lens of economy: money, incentive, and returns. Further, Eduardo had a social agenda and, like everyone who has one, he couldn’t get off the soap box either.
There are gems that are just entertaining or controversial:
Robert Kennedy’s 1968 speech:
Gross national product counts air pollution, and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for people who break them. It counts the destruction of the redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic squall. … It counts Whitman’s rifles and Speck’s Knifes and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children. Yet, the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play; it does not include the beauty of our poetry of the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate for the integrity of our public officials. … It measures everything in short except that which makes life worth while. And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans.
On the price of women, Eduardo essentially examined traditional social roles and how working has changed everything. When working demands less physical strength and more intelligence, women no longer need man to provide means of lives. The traditional “sex and kids in exchange for foods and shelter” deal broke down, since working women can provide foods and shelter as easily as men, as long as they are equally educated and trained. Working women therefore bear less children. The chic of working also changed the definition of beauty. The body type that favors reproduction capability is now less desirable. This means advanced societies, that value working women instead of baby factories, are less proliferating.
Then there is the Quiverfull movement that women have the “biblically mandated role of as bearers of children and workers in the home under the authority of a husband.”
Psalm 127:3-5:
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD:
and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man;
so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them:
they shall not be ashamed,
but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
For this belief, many Quiverfull followers practice polygamy that tend to maximize population growth. This parallels another controversial biblical passage (that every rational and reasonably educated modern persons, including Michelle Bachmann, must disagree):
Ephesians 5:22-24:
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Can you imagine the make up of earth population if these trends continue? The world will breed themselves back to the traditional roles, since new working-women-style societies are disadvantaged at natural selection.
There is an interesting passage on intellectual property. When the US first passed its copyright law in 1790, it protected only American authors. The US printing industry, then, simply pirated books published by British authors. This continued until 1986! For all the accusations that the US software companies made against piracy in Asia, the US, after ripping off others for several hundred years, just does not like others to return the same favor. Well, no one ever accused Americans of playing fair.
幾年前就聽人說這是台北最棒的豆漿.
小時住永和,有事沒事就去吃中正橋豆漿,24小時營業,豆漿,燒餅油條,飯糰,都是便宜東西. 吃吃走路,從來不覺得有什麼大不了. 長大了搬去台北,常想起中正橋豆漿,但嫌路遠,不常去. 後來到處都是”永和豆漿大王”,心裏常納悶,一樣嗎? 我們吃的是”四海豆漿”啊.可是沒幾年,中正橋的豆漿也都沒了. 想豆漿變成了個遺憾事.
來美國後,找燒餅油條成了個嗜好. 聽說哪裡有,就得長途去試試. 驚聞Mountain View有家推出了油條,一早開車去,等上一小時,這是什麼油條啊,簡直是炸麵棍.難怪英文叫Chinese Donut. 過了好些年,慢慢有幾家做的像些了.但是總是差上那一點,最常的就是冷了.燒餅油條,冷了就只是油味,吃不下去了.
所以每次回台北,必找家燒餅油條店解解鄉愁.街角的都行,每一家都地道. 久了朋友就開始推薦了.這家如何,那家怎樣,我們變成了品燒餅. 吃來吃去,就是這家阜杭沒吃了. 這次來,反正有時差,一早起來,直奔華山市場(善導寺對面),跟著人潮(六點半!)到了這間燒餅油條店.
厚燒餅是用老式泥爐一張張貼上烤出來的,皮脆裏軟,蔥香有咬勁. 其實不該夾油條,空口吃最過癮. 鹹豆漿花結的剛好,料剛夠沒太多,清的部分有鮮味,結的部分像豆花. 蟹殼黃(焦糖燒餅)皮脆糖甜芝麻香. 我覺得飯團太鬆,蘿蔔絲絣味道太重. 聽說薄燒餅也好吃,但我們實在吃不下了.
七點多吃完,看隊排了十來人.據聞九點時能排到樓下去. 台北人真瘋. 想當年信步走到橋頭,坐下就吃的閒興. 回憶嘍.
常山趙子龍,入千軍萬馬如無人之地. 殺到血染全身,精疲力盡,逃出重圍. 要不是張飛在長坂坡喝退曹兵,他一員虎將,也被蟻兵捉去了. 這仗,是為了救他”主公”劉備的兒子阿斗,後主劉禪. 這是中國的故有美德: 愚忠. “為人臣子”,必須聽話,絕對效忠不二. 如果”忠孝不能兩全”,那只有犧牲孝了. 孔子的倫理,”君臣”第一,”父子”第二.
從老闆的角度看,這太美了. 不論手下人多有能力,市場價多高. 他們一絕對不能”不忠”,也就是不能叛變. 他們還得絕對聽話,所有的能力,判斷力,都只是對外的. 到了老闆面前,每個都是白癡,只有老闆是對的.
而且他們都是”家臣”不是”員工”. 他們存在的目的是保護老闆個人,或家人,的利益. 而非公司或國家. 三國中,劉備是最爛的老闆,曹操,孫權比他強多了. 若非關張趙,及諸葛亮的愚忠,那可能成三國之勢?
忠,當然是個美德. 但不是”忠君”,而是忠於個理念. 美國是第一個把這觀念搞清楚的國家. 所有的政府員工,他們效忠的對象,是美國憲法,而不是任何組織或個人. 三國時期,根本還沒這觀念呢.
當然,趙雲有他的職責,其中之一,就是保護糜甘二夫人及少主.所以他是忠於他的職責. 劉備“故把親兒擲馬前” 換來趙雲的“雖肝腦涂地,不能報也.” 也是不錯的管理手段.
How nice to be sucked into a book, particularly by Orson Scott Card. This is not really a SciFi, but a fantasy. I am not entering any debates on their differences.
The plots and characters are clever and vivid. Orson had a very well-constructed set-up. Gods, as in Olympia, are really aliens from far away planets. We, mortal earthlings, are either their descendants or a version that is inter-breedable. Gods are genetically capable of manipulating elements: water, dirt, wind, plants, or even animals by separating the soul, or outself, as means for control. Everyone has an affinity for specific elements and also a strength of control. The most precious affinity is with space: the ability to create gates, or worm holes, that tunnel two points in space to allow instantaneous travel across distance. The most powerful gatemages can create Great Gate that leads to gods’ planets.
Alas, mysteriously, a Loki closed every gates in the world in 632 a.d. and stranded all those gods who happened to be on earth then. Gradually, probably through genetic diversification, their power weakened. Their only hope is to get back to Olympia via a Great Gate. But factions of those earth-bound gods were at war and would prefer mutual destruction than letting any of them get ahead by having a Great Gate. As a result, they killed all those who showed signs to be able to create gates. This stalemate, an inability to work together for common benefit, guarantees total oblivion: the future generation will become mortals, called drekka by gods, just like the rest of us.
Danny is the first gatemage in 1500 years that survive to teenage. He fled his Amish-like family and became a run-away kid. Like everyone, he was also looking for parental love, friendship, and, of course, girls.
Loki closed those gates to prevent a horrible monster from destroying the world. The year was specifically 632 a.d., when Muhammad died. Hmm…
Orson, I think, wrote this book for young adults, Harry Potter style. He really over-played the prankstering, trickeries, and the teenage verbal jousting. The friendship, parental, and other kinsman emotions were superficial. The training process lacked intensity or any struggle. I actually enjoyed the parallel plot of Wad no less than the main one.
Overall, it is a story masterly told and an easy read.
聽完過五關宰六將,真是過癮. 劉備三兄弟終於團圓,又得趙雲. 評書人,袁闊城,話頭一轉,說起曹操破袁紹.
官渡之戰是最精彩的一段,曹操以近十分之一的兵力,隔水對抗袁紹. 對壘多時後,他夜襲烏巢,把袁紹的糧燒了. 袁紹想稱機拿官渡,但不料曹操烏巢的兵大勝而回,反而首尾受敵. 結果十萬大兵,只剩800人退回黎陽. 這一戰,奠定了曹操的地位,也毀了袁紹.
小時看三國,只想諸葛亮打勝仗. 一面看一面氣,為什麼又輸了. 現在的角度不同了,官渡之戰的關鍵,是許攸倒戈,他有烏巢的資訊,曹操因此出兵夜襲. 而許攸倒戈,是因為袁紹沒有管理能力. 歷史雖以成敗論英雄,但是袁曹的人格及管理能力,在這官渡之戰呈現無疑.
從管理的角度看,官渡是雙方的”決定性時機”. 但袁紹以為可以用兵力致勝,而掉以輕心,留下了烏巢這弱點. 曹操要以少致勝,必然想出奇.袁紹低估了對方. 但曹操的膽識,必須佩服. 敢以十分之一兵力對敵,也有”執行能力”,信任許攸,打下烏巢. 這是得霸業的能力,不是運氣.
Honestly, by Book #7, I was not anticipating its release. J.K. Rowling wrote lengthier and darker as Harry Potter saga continued. The books became adult-level effort with teenager level enjoyment. But I am the guy who read all six of the Dune series and watch RoboCop #3: a sucker for sequels. So I dully read HP7 and went to see the movie that was supposed to be the last. How fitting, when HP7.2 poster showed up, it said, “It all ends on July 15.” Never had I so welcome the ending for the reason of “Let’s get it over with.”
Overall, it was actually a good movie. Harry’s struggle and sacrifice was heart-felt. Hermione, how lovely Emma Watson turns out, is a bit weak. Snape was as delightfully hateful. Ron, oh well, was Ron. The epic battle reminded me a bit of Helm’s Deep. I also liked Snape’s memory replay a lot.
The bad parts of the movie came from the book. The over-complication of the Deathly Hallow objects. The confusion among the Horcruxes and their destruction. The Ex Machina of Dumbledore and Harry’s other dead relatives. And, worst of all, the unnecessary epilogue of the “19 years later” and the pathetic make-ups (except for Ron’s bulging mid-section).
I don’t know how well will the “Deluxe 8 DVD Set” sell. I am not going to buy them and sure glad this whole series, books and movies, is now over.
There are golden rules on investing:
There is only one problem: investment strategies are self-defeating. If there is a proven sure way to win, everyone will do it. Since all transactions must have a buyer and a seller, someone must lose. The winning strategy, therefore, will cease to work. All three methods mentioned above have been practiced by millions of investors. They just differ by details. If you follow these strategies, you will get exactly what everyone else’s getting: the natural return of the market. This is the foundation of the efficient market theory: that the market price has reflected all relevant information already, there is no one any investor can beat the market consistently. Those did were just lucky.
Many, including Warren Buffet, disagreed. They claimed that although the market is quite efficient that average investors cannot beat it, but they possess certain strategies that did and will continue to do so. Naturally, they cannot divulge such strategies. If you park your money with them, you shall be rewarded. Just look, those who did were. Handsomely too.
Then came Enron, Bernie Madoff, and other crooks that simply used the shroud of secrecy to steal people’s money.
Sebastian Mallary’s book revealed those secrets. Of course, the very fact that he was able to do so mean they are no longer useful. He was able to reveal only after those hedge funds have failed; either by too many learned and copied their secrets or by the market closing down the arbitrage they were exploiting. (The chapter on Soros destroying foreign governments with money was scary.)
I believe the market is efficient enough to punish those who do not do their homework. Any reasonably intelligent investor can beat the market if he or she is willing to do the hard works for tracking trends and studying the fundamentals. It is definitely possible to win, just takes disciplines and strong nerves.
Kind of like life itself. Isn’t it?
He seems like a prolific writer and I enjoyed the movie “Absolute Power.” Political thriller is really not my usual genre, but I was on a Kindle binge and in exploration mood. So, with a click and its whisper net, I started reading my first Baldacci. Would it be my last?
There was a brilliant and gripping scene, if this is a movie. The climax was clearly the mastermind’s plan and careful execution. There were lots of difficult sacrifices, and they were moving. There were some lectures, but I enjoyed their educational purposes. Like a good book, even for novel, I felt a bit deeper and broader after reading it. I am officially made a fan now.
Unlike the movie there was no Clint Eastwood. Instead, there were about 4 or 5 main characters and it took me a while to figure out heroes from villains. Maybe I have been brainwashed by all those simple-minded plots, but a third into the book and I was wondering where the book was going.
Baldacci was not kind to the US foreign policies and I am, for the most part, in agreement. In general, the policies cost the government billions and the result is, at best, waste of money and usually many lives perished unnecessarily. The US government liked to create conflicts to keep some small wars going in the world. Those small and regional wars are useful. They keep those regions poor and dependent on the US dollars. They create market from the US weapon makers. They also keep presidents re-elected.
I don’t think I will get my next Baldacci in several months and he is not likely to become my favorite. He is, however, a good writer and probably among the bests in this genre. Just that, well, political thriller? I will still go SciFi.
“Do you have a book by Richard Phillips titled ‘Rho Agenda’?” A Barnes and Noble is between the bus stop and home. I was curious on what the book really feel like. It does not hurt anybody to take a look, even I have no intention of buying. “Hmm… ‘Immune’?” Answered the girl behind the information counter. “Yes,” I pressed on. “That’s Book Two. The first is ‘The Second Ship’”
The clerk girl gave me a cryptic look, “These books are available only in eBook format.” She offered no more information. This is not exactly her employer’s strong suit.
I was amused. I did not know those are exclusively eBooks. This will be the first time I read a book that does not exist in paper form and they are cheap. I wonder on the economy of publishing exclusively in eBook format.
It turned out both books are availabe in print form, only substantially more expensive. Book One sells at $1 as eBook and $12 in print; Book Two $4 and $14. Wow!
Book One (Second Ship) is a junior SciFi. Easy reading, teenage main characters, well structured and good pace. The story began with two rivaling space ships dueling each others and both fell to the earth with no survivors. As one, the Rho ship, became the true story behind the famous area 51, the other was discovered by three teenagers.
I realized the reason for selling this book for $1: it is not complete by itself. I felt cheated and bought the second book to finish the story. Throughout the second book, I had this dark mood of worrying if he is going to play the same trick to force me to read on. That diminished my enjoyment a bit.
Book Two is more an action fiction than SciFi (techno-thriller?). The plot centered around a professional killer who can somehow anticipate people’s next move. Of course, he and the three kids must save the world. This is the kind of SciFi that have little social agenda. It does not leave you thinking of your lives, the government, or other deep topics. It is like a Jackie Chan movie that provided good entertainment and will be forgotten minutes after you walk out of the theater.
There is one serious thought, weakly covered, on the role of diseases as a population control mechanism. If the world is rid of all diseases, humanity will actually collapse from lack of resources to sustain the explosive increase of population. For this reason, we should thank AIDS or other pandemic diseases to control the world population, because the only other alternatives will be wars or worse brutality.
Since they are eBooks, there seems no point showing the book covers. Mr. Richard Phillips studied Physics in college and was a military ranger. That explains the good writings on sub-space, GPS technologies, encryption, programming, and worm holes. It also explains the good scenes on military attacks and maneuver. Those technical details were really delightful.