Category Archives: Peek into my mind

Quite Inconvenient

Posted on December 23, 2009 by sinyaw

Let’s go with the premise that Earth is warming to the detriment of human societies. Let’s further accept that human activities, producing various greenhouse gases, etc., caused this. There are then three possible courses of action: do nothing (always an … Continue reading →

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Performance Enhanced?

Posted on December 18, 2009 by sinyaw

If athletes are allowed to compete only with whatever they were born with there will be no Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Joe Montana, and your favorite sport star. The ethical question is not whether an athlete can enhance his or … Continue reading →

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Stimulating Whom?

Posted on December 11, 2009 by sinyaw

Give an entrepreneur some capital. Of course he or she will try to make more money out of it. Infuse the whole society with money. You expect the whole would become more prosperous, since society is nothing but a collection … Continue reading →

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eBooks v. Paper

Posted on December 8, 2009 by sinyaw

I have been tempted by Kindle since its debut — I read reasonably avidly: books, magazines, and newspapers; I am comfortable with gadgets; I have enough discretionary income; I travel frequently; and I don’t shelf read books (they go into … Continue reading →

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Brilliant!

Posted on November 3, 2009 by sinyaw

I always thought desalination and solar power are so naturally tegether. Don’t we see vast salt ponds lining the coast? All of them use solar power to evaporate the water. If we would capture those vapors, we got water. Right? … Continue reading →

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Cheating for a $20

Posted on October 31, 2009 by sinyaw

This is interesting. If you are lazy to click, this economy professor experimented on his students every year. He will get 8 students to bid on a $20 bill. The highest bidder gets it, paying whatever he or she bid. … Continue reading →

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台北兩天

Posted on October 29, 2009 by sinyaw

光輝的十月,台北靜俏俏? 打聽一下,水災的關係. 或者,不想和對岸打對台? 細雨,去了十月的悶熱. 坐捷運到處走走,摸到個歐式建築,裡面是下午茶. 東西比美國高級餐廳還精緻, 好酒好菜又不貴, 盡興而返. 第二天,去碧潭. 這地方30年前,可以和女孩一對一划船. 是個重要約會點. 現在的一代,當然有新招了. 我們幾個老頭,偷到了半天閑. 喝啤酒,看水,看人. 潭邊緬懷舊事,天南地北一番. 經濟還是低迷,台北人繼續等著. 不論那種未來,台北人的答案都是要等. 這心情,鬱悶啊.

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也想北京

Posted on October 22, 2009 by sinyaw

那你呢? 有人看了我譯女兒的大作,問我. 真回來了,日子排的都是人.中國人習慣的吃飯,加上舊雨新知.每天就滿了.朋友見面不是開會. 聊起來,喝兩杯,時間飛逝. 這次住東方,也不是休假,去的地方不多. 前門: 從東郊民巷走到前門大街,再進大柵欄.這塊全變了.但小巷子裏,還是如舊.都一處和全聚德都還在. 涮羊肉: 隨便找了一家. 應該去滿福樓,但倆人沒意思. 鼎泰豐: 其實是去了趟新光.這可是北京購物之最 潭柘寺,戒台寺,盧溝橋: 週末踏踏青,吸收一下文化. (這字左木右石,念”折”,不是拓.) 天安門: 可以想見國慶的盛況. 沒機會,但想去的地方: 頤和園: 慈禧的私人泳池,百去不厭. 川辦: 定樓上的包間. 菜單上的東西每個都點. 烤鴨: 我覺得還是大董好. 新疆飯莊: 大碗喝酒,大塊吃肉,吃素的別來. 司馬台長城: 最有風味,又具挑戰性.要從金山嶺出發. 看到CCTV被燒的實在心痛. 坐地鐵居然兩圓可以坐到底,國家真沒想在這上賺錢. 中國跑的比世界快3倍. 迎頭趕上,指日可待. 加油.

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Beijing’s Blue Sky

Posted on October 19, 2009 by sinyaw

Late autumn is my favorite Beijing season, from mid-October to mid-December. The vacation season is over, the cool air refreshes, it does not rain, and the skys are blue. The municipality has been trying very hard to help. The world … Continue reading →

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水滸: 李師師

Posted on October 10, 2009 by sinyaw

我居然忘了李師師是水滸裏的人物. 野史中常提這一代名妓. 她色藝冠東京,迷倒宋幑宗. 金人入京後,散淨家財,抵死不從. 水滸中的女性人物,雖然生動,但多為負面. 流傳最廣,還當上金瓶梅主角 的就是潘金蓮了. 另外都是配角: 最豪氣的是一丈青扈三娘, 但居然嫁給了矮腳虎王英. 其他有做人肉包子的孫二娘和有男人氣概的顧二嫂. 看到了李師師,終於出了個有個性,有才氣的的重要人物. 史上沒貂蟬其人,羅貫中的三國把她推進四大美女排行榜. 所以有人以趙飛燕代. 李師師也沉魚落雁,閉月羞花. 但只落為”名妓”. 其實美女代代有. 能以美色傾城傾國應是:西施,昭君,楊貴妃加個沖冠一怒的陳圓圓.

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