The Photo of the Month - Apr 2012
目玉おやじさん
Posts
A Year Of No Significance
歷史對於大部分年輕人來說，可謂沉悶至極，而中國歷史更是既沉悶又沉重。如果當年既無戰爭，又無變故，一切相安無事，本來無事可議論，無史可讀，無趣可言。然而，偏偏有一暢銷著作以此為題，更成一家之言。這便是黃仁宇的萬曆十五年。 與本地的教科書不同，此書沒有正統思想，勵精圖治，等等教人打呵欠的八股詞句，反而既側重各人物的心理描寫，又有科學化的制度分析。又因為前者的描述繪聲繪色，差點以為自己在看小說。 尤其頭三章大半篇幅是心理描寫。每一個人都被賦予活生生的性格，變成有血有淚的生命。這般的描述不但引起普羅讀者的細閱深究的興趣，而且更能凸顯那時的制度局限，個人行為沒有絲毫帶來改變的可能。 然而，以個人來說，接著的後三章所提及的制度分析更為精闢獨到，展示作者的大歷史觀。那三章分別提及了水利工程，典章禮教，資源調配，戰略部署，抽絲剝繭地解釋中國的政治結構的來龍去脈。其見解更可以解析近代中國為何科技落後於西方，放棄對海洋的開拓，如何調控地方的經濟，如何應對外來的挑戰。正如自己大學時候修讀的社會學科所在強調，個人的行為基於其社會的制度。 此書最後以歷史上毫無名分的哲學人李贄的思想與遭遇作為總結。李贄個人的窮困潦倒的一生與自相矛盾的觀點，正是整書提及的社會環境的影響。影響所及，不但是讀者人本身的仕途，還有其家族的行為，以至整個民族的價值觀，也就是現在與第一世界截然不同的中華文化。 讀畢此書，即便嘆為觀止。其大歷史觀不只一事的因由，一代之興衰，而且以此立論，縱觀古今遷演一派相承，橫批中外發展大異其趣。若以此書為綱，自會秋毫察事，縱然世事紛繁交錯，進退亦有所依據。
Back to Sony
After I had used iPhone 3G for 4 years, I did not decide to go to iPhone 4. This is because the design of iPhone 4 lacks of such human characteristics as warm feeling, comfortably touching, eye catching, not machine like appearance, etc that typical Apple products possess. Therefore, I decided to go to Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro. This phone is small, easy holding and untypical shape, what's more, it consists of Sony's consistently high quality of camera and display screen. It is not necessarily to talk more about the software, which is Android. The core is standard but the user interface is customized by Sony. The UI is very suitable for such small as 3 inch large monitor. For example, the four corner menu allows the phone to have more icons but use less space. This phone is my third Sony's phone. I used Z200 and W810i. The former is known as special shape and the analog clock accessory. The latter is good at camera and music player. Someone said that Sony was Apple Inc....