New York Times “Starbucks to Close Stores and End Sandwich Sales” 31 January 2008.
“In short, the scent of the warm sandwiches interferes with the coffee aroma in our stores,” said Howard D. Schultz, the company’s chairman and chief executive.
This is why I like Starbucks. At least they make themselves appear that they concentrate on making good coffee.
Thanks Cleave.
明報《專家﹕姊弟戀男方受照顧 自覺公平交易》2008年1月28日
他分析，姊弟戀的男主角往往會享受對方安排所有生活細節，包括金錢及性需要，甚至由對方「教導」自己。由於社會傳統觀念認為年紀大的女性與年輕男性走在一起是「佔了便宜」，因此男方可以在她們身上尋到尊嚴，並認為「犧牲色相」滿足女方的性需要，就有權利在其他方面得益，以為這是一種「等價交換」的公平交易。
他表示，若姊弟戀的兩人均擁有一定身家及地位，關係反而會較持久；但一般來說雙方收入有差距，男方最終會在經濟上依賴伴侶。若女方決定放棄這段感情，被拋棄的男方會認為她破壞了遊戲規則，無法接受失去靠山，可能失去理性而做出過激舉動。若男方殺人後自殺，更是一種害怕面對將來、不負責任的幼稚舉動。
如果將男女的字眼互換，這兩段有會變成怎樣？
他分析，兄妹戀的女主角往往會享受對方安排所有生活細節，包括金錢及性需要，甚至由對方「教導」自己。由於社會傳統觀念認為年紀大的男性與年輕女性走在一起是「佔了便宜」，因此女方可以在他們身上尋到尊嚴，並認為「犧牲色相」滿足男方的性需要，就有權利在其他方面得益，以為這是一種「等價交換」的公平交易。
他表示，若兄妹戀的兩人均擁有一定身家及地位，關係反而會較持久；但一般來說雙方收入有差距，女方最終會在經濟上依賴伴侶。若男方決定放棄這段感情，被拋棄的女方會認為他破壞了遊戲規則，無法接受失去靠山，可能失去理性而做出過激舉動。若女方殺人後自殺，更是一種害怕面對將來、不負責任的幼稚舉動。
我覺得這兩段所說的也很合理，尤其是「佔了便宜」
那部份。
姊弟戀不是甚麼奇異的事，就只是與傳統男女關係有所不同，社會人士大驚小怪而已，可恨的是這些分析就只有套用這些傳統觀念，沒甚見解，倒不如問各界私奶，定有更精彩的言論。
問題不一定出在專家，不竟一篇男女殺人自殺的報導，不值得放到頭版去，更不必找專家來分析這個問題。
這位專家是城市大學應用社會科學系犯罪學課程主任黃成榮。我認為應再找一個性別研究的學者來加以討論較為合適。
更新：晚上再讀蘋果日報，發覺他們找的專家更適合。
蘋果日報《專家之言：姊弟戀趨普遍 相處仍有壓力》2008年1月28日
香港家庭及事業發展服務訓練總監司徒漢明，形容今次命案是一宗悲劇。他表示，姊弟戀並不完全是建築在金錢之上的，近年社會亦普遍接受男女之間相差「十幾廿年」的戀情，不過男女雙方年齡相差太大，相處起來並不容易。
他說，20多歲的男子很有活力及冒險精神，追求金錢、事業，但40多歲的中年女子，則渴求踏實和安穩的生活，體能、活力不斷減退，雙方相處會出現不協調，若有金錢糾紛等問題，則更易起磨擦，他表示，男女之間無論出現多嚴重的金錢和感情問題，都絕不能用暴力來了斷。
關注家庭暴力受害人法權會主席吳惠貞說，情侶之間年齡相差太遠，容易產生矛盾及衝突。「佢哋本身都可能有好大壓力，行出街都驚人哋以為佢哋係母子或者姊弟。」吳惠貞說，除了金錢及感情會導致關係破裂，家人、朋友是否接受都很重要。
深夜一點鐘，開著電視仲可以睇到李臻喺 now 寬頻電視報新聞。仲記得幾年前佢喺政府總部出面罵：「有冇搞錯呀你哋香港警察」，好型。
我主要喺想睇返今日喺港鐵火車上面睇過嘅新聞片段，想知到發生咗乜事。突然間，今日好似好多新聞：
唔係好明白點解台灣人可以咁瘋狂，個貨車司機加速撞記者，佢嘅回應竟然係「擋著我怎麼過？」
呢句說話仿佛係台灣教育部長嘅心底話。兩位自持己見，前面有甚麼東西跟本沒有理會。其實我留意咗咁耐，都唔係太清楚台灣嘅教育部同埋中正紀念堂有乜關係。
諗到呢度又覺得香港好似幾好，頒個學位畀董建華都唔係太難接受，話哂佢冇搞到香港好似台灣咁衰。
中大校園又成焦點，鏡頭影到嘅同學好多都見過面，又見到大學嘅超頹保安忽然落力，極悶的畢業典禮頓時變得精彩。
竟有家長喊住咁話請假黎睇仔女畢業但係又因有人抗議影響咗典禮。呢位家長令我諗起一個新娘對完美典禮嘅追求，又令我諗呢個家長嘅仔女睇完新聞之後有乜感想。可能佢唔知到呢個典禮本身冇睇頭，又或者唔知到下午仲有書院嘅畢業禮，所以咁大反應。我相信呢位家長嘅不滿下午會得到舒緩。
幾日前有同學問我喺咪應該去畢業禮，我仲話唔使哂氣，而家有啲後悔，咁精彩嘅畢業禮真係萬中無一，我都好想去。
可能因為上鏡嘅抗議同學我都識少少，少不免牽動咗我啲情緒。
我覺得，而家嘅社會，比起我嘅感情生活更令人無奈。
電影裡有交代「夏天的尾巴」的意思，簡單直接，但又讓我意想不到。
當然有更深層的意思吧。與我看過的台灣電影感覺差不多，無論感覺是如何都不像朋友所說的「純愛」，可能是自己所感受到的就不是這些而已。
我在想，有多少我們這一代的，會放紙船到河上，讓它自由漂到他方？就算放到溝渠上去也不減浪漫：重點是無聊自在的生活。我們這青春的一代，來到這裡生活太忙碌又苦悶，期望的是未來的退休生活。所謂理想的生活開始的那時，生命已過了理應最精彩的大部份，那，不是很可笑嗎？
我想我的思考過程裡一定是欠缺了些甚麼，走在我前面的人一定已經想過些甚麼。問題不是誰的理論正確，是誰的理論較適合自己。
說回電影，我想我喜歡這種花很多時間營造某些感覺的手法。但我仍想看點別的，台灣的所謂青春電影，應該不止這樣吧。
故事很簡單，音樂很好，只是末段的剪接不太喜歡，但亦不失感情。
留意演員序，夏天的名字是布布。
: )
For the time being I watch this little cute cat here to kill time.
I recently subscribed SmarTone's internet on mobile service, with a monthly fee I can browse the web / check e-mail with the application that came natively with the phone. Rates at $38/month with a daily free usage of 20MB. After that the plan is automatically "upgraded" to $78 for the rest of the month.
I once asked a customer representative at one of the local stores: If on the last day of a billing month my usage exceeded 20MB will they charge $78? They will. A completely rip of if you ask me. I have to use this service very carefully.
The speed is good. One drawback is that the phone display is so tiny it hurts to read for longer than a half an hour, especially on the road. So I don't think I will ever use all of that 20MB. If I do I'll go blind or something.
I feel a little sick tonight. The food seems to be the problem.
今日我又諗起呢首歌：
是你嗎？你在微微地笑
心跳 如今確是奇妙
在「魁北克」的哥哥、巴士上面的學生、小巴回望嘅男仔……
哈哈，我好變態，經常望住街上邊啲人
但係除咗多啲去文化中心「魁北克」之外我都諗唔到可以做啲乜。
之後我又諗到第二首歌嘅歌詞，來自另一個音樂劇：
我盼當我走到盡頭 他可伴我在身旁
呢句歌詞之後，其實仲有一句。
我家有頭狗名 Coffee，從未向朋友露面，它是唐狗，少於一歲。
數天前它死了，父親說原因是它出外吃了不該吃的東西。
雖不是人命，但也是一個小生命，回家時少一個會行會走的動物，有一種說不出的失落感。
原來死是多麼突然，又令我多想人、死、關係、感情的問題。
找不到它的相片，可能遺留在剛報銷的記憶咭裏。
More and more often I find out that it is quite common that people around me do not have the ability to reason. When an idea is odd enough they just scrap the whole idea, without giving enough thought on it.
It is as if any one idea must be on a single side of the fence so that it makes sense to anyone, and this idea must be on a side at the extreme. Think about it, when the democrats rejected the proposal for the new election procedures a few years back, were they really supporting a more general election or not? I bet some people just doesn't understand. They don't have the ability to reason.
I recently spent some time reading The Dilbert Blog by Scott Adams. He talked about Cognitive Dissonance a few days earlier and he mentioned an interview of an economist on the topic of global warming. The interviewers were confused, and rejected the economist's idea entirely.
I like the way how he attacked the nonsense. His posts were extremely humourous.
中秋節，喺天台同屋企人燒嘢食同埋賞月。
雖然天文台話可能睇唔到個月亮，但係嗰日大部份時間都見到個好圓好圓嘅月光，附近有少少雲陪住個月亮，所以唔覺得個月亮孤令令喺個天空上面。
我見到天空咁大，俾少少想像力，自己喺個地球入面比啲大氣層包住，上面個月亮圍住自己轉...點解佢唔會跌落黎呢。
呢個時候又食多兩件雞翼，又桔多兩件雞翼嚟燒。
之後又攞咗兩件月餅嚟食，幾好幾好。遺憾嘅係冇汽水，如果有嘢冰凍嘅汽水就 fit 哂啦。
當然又睇吓電視，同屋企人傾計呀咁。（電視搬咗上天台。）
好似冇點燈籠，唔興掛，我諗。
我又諗，點解呢個活動要叫做賞月呢，其實，真係無乜去望個月亮。話哂佢都係主角，如果我係佢比人冷落咗都幾無奈。
天氣清涼，如果可以喺天台度瞓，地係床以天係被，應該幾得意。
「凍死你呀！」
今朝攞起隻杯，睇到杯內雪白無比，覺得屋企人真係好。
夜晚返屋企見到間房有人執過，原全無咗嗰種溫馨嘅感覺，只係覺得要將啲嘢打亂返好麻煩。
人真係奇怪，要諗咁多嘢。
明報《網站無警告字眼禁重複提交》2007年9月26日
記者嘗試直接寄出電郵，自行撰寫意見，電郵中並無提供個人資料，亦是重複寄出，亦未見「打回頭」。
記者做這個測試，有甚麼結論？
沒有任何結論。
因為電子郵件從軟件送出時，只是由用戶端的電郵伺服器接受，也就是 "accepted for delivery"，此後，用戶無從得知對方是否會收到該電郵。這種測試方法無知、可笑。
近來，明報喜用引號，將口語放到文字去。加引號不代表他們可以用口語。
I read a blog post by Wil Shipley (who write programs for Delicious Monster). I found it deeply touching, especially near the end, about the feeling of losing everything he loves. Also the question "is genius linked with craziness?" is inspirational, I have given a few thoughts on it, those who understand me should know.
In the last three paragraphs, what he described sounds amazingly familiar.
Fortunately I have never been diagnosed as suffered from depression. Or I should say I haven't been depressed enough to qualify the medical definition of a person suffering depression. It hasn't caused enough impact to my life. If I am not qualified to claim this feeling of mine as depressed, what else can I call it? Sad? It is not sad - I'm not saying that sad is not involved, but it is only part of it.
I have always admired those who have never feel depressed, whose life looked so cheerful, friends never in shortage.
And My heart goes to those who are depressed. I never could imagine how I could endure the hopelessness and everything this brings. I know friends who suffered from depression and I don't know what I could do... there is nothing I can do.
I can't help myself either.
After the show I took the tram to Causeway Bay. I actually think it is where many cute guys hang around (of course there are MK guys who migrated to Causeway Bay for no reasons, but anyway we pretend they didn't exist anyway). I looked like a slightly over-sized boy who don't care very much about how he looks. Sometimes I feel that a guy is looking at my direction, I always think they find me weird or something. I seldom looked at myself in the mirror, too afraid to see horrible thing. (Is that me!?)
Causeway Bay is not for me. I can't remember if I found myself comfortable in this place... nor any place, then it is not the problem of Causeway Bay after all.
I went to Times Square and collected a box of Häagen-Dazs ice-cream moon cake. Delicious. Also picked up a Starbucks drink a few levels up. The barista seemed confused when I ordered, and what I ordered isn't complicated - just plain iced tall latte. Is there something wrong with my pronunciation? I knew that I have some pronunciation problem but people can hear what I said no matter how I say it, what a nice place this is.
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