Bush has surpassed Galileo in Western Science？

In the middle of the 18th century, Carl Linnaeus coined the term Homo Sapiens. By giving ourselves this name, we declared that the most outstanding characteristic about our species is the ability and propensity to think. At the time, having emerged from a long dark history of superstition and religious suppression, Europe was doing a lot of thinking, and had produced many momentous figures. Their critical and adventurous faculties were leading the world into a dramatically different age.

From Copernicus to Galileo, then Newton to Einstein, numerous talented thinking monkeys had used their brains to help us better understand the physical environment and ourselves. This way of thinking may not be perfect. But it was extremely useful and generally valid in everyday life, and remains very much so, just as Newtonian science. Observation, curiosity, a tenacious experimental spirit, critical and uncompromising analyses had contributed to the overwhelming success of modern science since Galileo, the effect of which we still enjoy and suffer today.

Galileo risked being barbecued alive for suggesting the earth goes around the sun because objective evidence said so. He was lucky; he only spent his last years under house arrest. But the spirit of Galileo illuminated an intellectual dimension that the Holy Fathers could no longer keep in the dark. 

911 had finally put a stop to that tradition, officially and publicly. Bush might therefore claim to have surpassed Galileo as the most significant figure in modern science. The Nobel committee, having awarded Obama a Peace Prize, might as well give Bush one in Physics.

A very well informed world of Homo sapiens which witnessed the free fall of three towers, defying known scientific understandings, continues to believe in the official story. Except a brave group of 1500 or so American scientists and engineers, most people are willing to see the sun orbiting the Earth because Washington says so. Some in the scientific community even attempt mumble jumble rationalisations to justify the obviously impossible. Well, many of the brightest men did the same in Galileo’s days, but they had the excuse of not yet having called themselves Homo sapiens.

The scientific (or unscientific) queries surrounding 911 are plain and basic. I will not repeat the numerous objective and irrefutable arguments already presented by others. Those who are interested can do their own research. www.911truth.org is by far the best starting point. 

I wish to put forward a few common sense questions for those who don’t wish to be bothered by scientific principles:

1. The first two towers collapsed by free fall, ostensibly due to explosions caused by the airplanes, with remarkable symmetry, leaving the neighbours fortuitously intact. Can the collapse be simulated in an experiment? This is a significant discovery for engineering because future demolition can be made MUCH cheaper (hey, just a couple tanks of airplane fuel splashed all over the place and wham!) if we can understand and master this phenomena. 

Is it being studied in any of the civil engineering labs around the world? Why are we ignoring this opportunity of a lifetime to come up with a new cheap way of controlled demolition that no longer requires painstaking “controlling”?

2. Perhaps it was a freak accident, although TWO freak accidents happening at the same time could itself rewrite statistics and probability. Never mind. 

But there was a third building! Building 7 (the 3rd tower that also collapsed by free fall, something that 85% of Americans are no longer aware of because the media are quiet about it in the spirit of Orwellian Minitrue) was not hit by a plane. It caught fire, somehow, and fainted. It collapsed in the same fashion, by free fall.

The Holy See — sorry, correction, Washington — said it collapsed due to office fire. Well, no towering inferno has ever fallen like this in our entire history. Is anyone in the universities curious enough to analyse this unprecedented structural behaviour with significant implications? 

3. Finally, forget Newtonian science. It might have died. Forget Einstein. We are now in the Age of Bushian science. What about social regulations, something that Bush would have nothing against? 

Three landmark grade skyscrapers in New York collapsed in an apparently impossible manner ten years ago. Some said it was due to a peculiar structural design fault. Has the building code been revised since? Were the designers sued in litigious America? What about other buildings designed and built on similar principles? If they caught fire like WTC Building 7 — a definitely possibility — will they collapse likewise? Has anything been done to safeguard or reinforce these structures to prevent recurrence? You’re talking about possibly saving lives — American lives!

So far, no other building elsewhere in the world has collapsed in a free fall fashion due to “office fire” — the official reason. Does that mean American design and engineering should not be responsibly exported until they have a better idea (expressed in accordance with the fact-seeking conventions of Western science) why Building 7 collapsed?

Western science is much more than a set of theorems and principles. It’s a way of objective thinking that refuses to compromise. This intellectual approach had emerged from a long struggle against the deadly drip of the Church, but can it survive the sophisticated strangling of the modern Church and its powerful propaganda machine? If not, isn’t Bush the latest defining figure in Western science, possibly surpassing Galileo, Newton, and Einstein in a reverse sense?

小布什对科学的影响超过了伽利略 http://guo-du.blogspot.hk/2011/10/blog-post.html

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Published 2 October 2011 on Guo Du Blog

小布什对现代科学的影响超过了伽利略？

在18世纪中叶， 瑞典人 Carl Lennaeus 第一次用“智人”来统称人类，大家都觉得很恰当顺耳，便一直沿用下来。我们自称“智人”，当时来说也不是完全没有道理。欧洲经过了长期的宗教愚昧，当时已经从漫长的黑暗年代中苏醒过来。一代接一代的伟大思想家和科学家，正为西方的学术传统开花，改变欧洲，改变世界。

由哥白尼到伽利略，由牛顿到爱因斯坦，一代代伟大的智人学者，用他们的脑筋，智慧，勇气，孜孜不倦的研究精神，客观的分析方法，和不屈不挠的探讨精神，将西方科学发展到人类前所未见的高峰。虽然现代科学观跟牛顿定律一样，有不足之处；而科学对人类长远的影响究竟是祸是福，仍然有待时间分晓。不过在正常情况之下，现代科学的威力和所带来的方便，则无容置疑。

伽利略可以说是现代科学之父。他当年冒着被活活烧死的危险，努力证明地球不是如教廷所说的是宇宙中心。他还算幸运，最后只遭到终身软禁。但他寻求真相的无畏精神和客观方式，已经开了智人的窍，燃亮了黑暗愚昧的死角。结果一发不可收拾，最终连代表上帝的教皇也无法继续把事实扭曲和蒙蔽。

伽利略之后，是几百年的百花齐放，把欧洲科学带到前所未有的巅峰，推动了全世界。直到美国911事件，才正式告一段落。所以说小布什在西方科学历史中的地位超过了伽利略，也不为过。负责诺贝尔奖的老人家们，反正连好战的奥巴马也颁了个和平奖，那么也应该考累颁个物理奖给布什，以示对美国特别的公平。

我为何有此说法呢？

婆娑世界的“智人”，目睹 911三座高楼垂直倒塌，完全违反自然定律，竟然可以继续相信华盛顿的官方解释。除了美国有一千五百多个科学家和工程师仍然拒绝改变科学来迁就官方胡言之外，大部分人可以面不改容地相信太阳围着地球公转。人家白宫都这样说，还会假？不少有识之士，还放弃了几百年的西方学术传统，胡说八道的乱扯一通，找很多完全站不住脚的谬论来支持官方言论。这也难怪。伽利略的年代，绝大部分的知识分子，也是千方百计的证明地球是宇宙中心。不过他们当时还没有自称 “智人” 哦！

911 技术上的大量疑点，已经有很多人用浅易明白的科学文字分析得很清楚；我便不浪费时间再在这里重复了。有兴趣的人，可以上网浏览。www.911truth.org 我觉得比较全面，是埋手的好地方。

我倒想讲讲几个与科学没有直接关系的 911 现象：

1。 既然两座现代摩天大楼差不多同一时间，以同一个模样垂直倒塌，丝毫没有倾斜，骚扰邻居，效果可以说十分意外，但比较令人满意。既然无意中发现这个现象，我们可否在现代化实验室里再加以了解和分析呢？因为掌握了这个技术，将来拆卸巨大建筑物的时候，可以大派用场。只不过两箱飞机油，漏出来随便燃烧，便可以干手净脚地拆掉两大栋房子。这种技术，掌握了可以立即上市发财。

为什么到现在还没有人研究呢？美国的学者们都没有了好奇心吗？

2。 可能大厦的倒塌，还有其它万中无一的偶然巧合所造成。但两栋一起碰上这万中无一的巧合，也可以说是机会率统计学上一件可圈可点的大怪事。算啦，见怪不怪。

但倒塌的不是两栋哦！还有世贸第七楼，没有给飞机撞上，只不过在旁边看热闹，也一样以垂直方式塌了下来。怪吗？根据调查，百分之八十五的美国人都不清楚有第三栋楼房倒塌的历史了，可见自由传媒的合作态度，其实十分重要。

罗马教廷 — 不对不对，是华盛顿白宫 — 解释说“第七楼”是由于惹了火上身，所以也塌了。呃，一栋现代楼房由于火灾而垂直倒塌，是人类懂得建造多层房屋以来的第一次。美国是先进国家，科学发达，难道没有一家工学研究院对这个史无前例的现象存有半点的学术好奇，决心研究研究？

3。 好！不再那么土了。二十一世纪了，不要再罗嗦牛顿定律啦。忘记爱因斯坦吧。让我们从不科学的人文角度看看911所带出的社会问题吧。

纽约的三座摩登大楼，同一天烧不了几个小时便意想不到地倒了。据说是设计上的问题。美国的结构设计，完来有这么大的一个“漏洞”， 事后有没有彻底反省，以防止事故重演呢？美国人最爱诉讼，有没有追究设计责任呢？全美国还有不少其它建筑物的设计，与世贸类似。看到了第七栋火烧几小时便倒塌的惨剧之后，有没有作出相应的检讨和加固手段呢？十年了，纽约的建筑条例有没有作出改善和修订呢？美国式的结构设计，是否仍然可以安全负责地输出到世界上其它的国家呢？

中国农村的“豆腐渣”工程，当然顶不住大地震。但烧它个一天半日，肯定不会整座垂直倒塌。是否证明技术上已经超过了美国的摩天大厦呢？

西方科学领导了人类几个世纪的发展的原因，并非单单几条公式和定律，而是它经过了长期宗教压逼所磨练出来的求知精神和不妥协的客观求证态度。这种一度令西方文化攀上历史高峰的学术态度，似乎因世贸大楼的倒塌而被逼严重倒退。所以布什对西方科学的影响，有可能比伽利略，牛顿，和爱因斯坦的都深远。

Bush has surpassed Galileo in Western Science? http://guo-du.blogspot.hk/2011/10/bush-has-surpassed-galileo-in-western.html

小说 “笙歌” 第七章 之（2）“情為何物（上）”

第七章  之（2）“情為何物（上）”

兩個漁翁相聚，一定談魚說蝦。

運動員碰頭，說的不是訓練心得，便是體壇花絮。

但情人通常都不會研究愛情本質。

瑞涯來個例外，宋笙竟然把愛情比喻地深吸力！

連接到上一節「生人勿近」

瑞涯自從兩星期前開始寫日記以來，只不過漏了幾天，便已經不能肯定日子了。她決定請求尊信給她造個萬年曆。

無所謂的日子，再次變得重要。她要把生命的足跡紀錄，以供後人參考。音樂有如耳邊風，來去不留痕跡。筆記則可以把光陰紀錄備案，好待回憶。奇怪的是，當她重溫過去幾天寫的日記時，覺得自己在偷窺別人的內心世界，有種奧妙的抽離感。

日記，還有一個不可告人的副作用，一個不可以寫下來的企圖。她故意把日記放在鋼琴上，希望某君趁她不留意的時候，由好奇心驅使，翻它兩翻。。。

小说 “笙歌” 第六章 之（8）“瘟神”

第六章  之（8）

瘟神

無論宋煥如何深愛夏麗，她現在已經是個死人。

而生人與死人，似乎無法親嘴。

鏈接到上一節 「笙」

 綠水青山枉自多，
華佗無奈小蟲何！
千村薜荔人遺矢，
萬戶蕭疏鬼唱歌 。。。

“媽媽你在讀甚麼呀？”

“這是詩。”

“很好聽哦！你寫的嗎？”

“你喜歡嗎？是毛澤東寫的，送瘟神的詩。”

“甚麼是瘟神呀媽媽？”

“瘟神是專派小害蟲把人吃光的魔鬼！”

“哎呀！小害蟲那麼小，怎麼吃人啊？”

“它們鑽到人的肚子里，一點點把他們溶化，再小口小口的喝掉。它們數量很多很多很多哦小甜豆！”

“它們會不會喝我們呀？”

“不會啦，傻瓜。”

“是不是它們喝飽啦？”

“可能吧。也可能我們不好吃囉！”

“我知我知！因為我們已經死了！”

“你發神經！我們不死！我們永遠不死！你亂說一通，是不是想媽媽打你的嘴巴！”

“對不起 。 。 。媽媽。”

“沒關係，小甜豆。媽媽不想生你的氣。不要哭。來，過來，給媽媽抱抱。”

__________________

瘟疫自古就有。

據專家說，以前平均每世紀發生兩三次。但那是古時，是在專家們出生之前。自二十一世紀來，全球性的大瘟疫每隔幾年便肆虐一次。至於廣泛流感與瘟疫的具體分別，誰也說不清，主要看傳媒給它個甚麼名字。有些報章頭條的世紀大瘟疫，最後不過帶走一二十個老人家。但當大家聽慣了危言，開始不以為意的時候，又會晴天霹靂地出現一個三甲級的瘟神，殺人類個措手不及，死亡慘重。

瘟神的病毒兵勇，好像有整盤攻擊計劃：

What’s Wrong with Hong Kong?

The thoroughness of Hong Kong’s ineptitude in governance is matched only by that of an idiotic emperor towards the end of a failing dynasty. It's a historical aberration. 

I rarely rely on the mainstream “international” media for information, and nearly never waste time on Hong Kong papers. Being without a TV for decades now, I’m blissfully ignorant of the stupefying local politics and media brouhaha. I do have friends who give me the occasional glimpse of the state of affairs in Hong Kong, after they’ve made it more comprehensible with their intelligent filtering.

During a luncheon gathering yesterday, I learnt of a number of recent headlines through chit chats. Predictably (or, more hypocritically, I should lament sadly) Hong Kong’s political deterioration hasn’t slowed down since I last took notice.

There has been much fuss over the security at the University of Hong Kong over the visit of Vice Premier Li Keqiang. It sounded to me the security in a concert by a Cantopop singer would have been at least as tight. But the Vice Chancellor of the University had to endure a Cultural Revolution style grilling over the security arrangement, by a bunch of students who had been groomed by so-called “politicians” rather than the rapidly disintegrating education system. The Vice Chancellor, of course, care more about keeping his job than defending principles or the nominal dignity his position demands. Well, Hong Kong is a preposterous metropolis which prides itself for having everything. But honour, vision and courage are notable exceptions to this ostentatious claim.

Elsewhere, Hong Kong Rail, after decades of running the world’s most efficient and reliable metro system, could not find a local person of whatever ethnic origin to head the corporation. Have they heard of something called a succession plan? Someone from New York has been headhunted to run the Hong Kong system which has been operating a hundred times more impressively than its NYC counterpart. Oh well, that’s not surprising, considering that the Chinese University’s website on Cantonese pronunciation is a joint venture with Yale. 

While politics in Hong Kong is surrealistically comical, many operational areas have remained excellent. The efficient airport, a mostly reasonable police force, and a top class public transportation system are some of the things Hong Kong can still be proud of. Perhaps that’s why they’ve been targeted for the next phase of decline.  

Then there’s the $6000 per eligible citizen pay-out scheme. Not many government would have this much trouble handing out cash. Tiny Macau has done the same thing annually in the past few years without any trouble. But then it’s not a fair comparison. Macau uses common sense. Hong Kong likes to seem to be more complex and sophisticated, depending on the workload of the civil service.

The thoroughness of Hong Kong’s ineptitude in governance is matched only by that of an idiotic emperor towards the end of a failing dynasty. It's a historic aberration. In any other political system - be it a rambunctious “multi-party” political show, a One-Party-Many-Factions experimental system, a fanatical theocratic state or an outright dictatorship - the leaders must possess certain quality to struggle for power and to maintain sufficient support in a real world. Hong Kong “politicians” have been fortuitously exempted from a comparable selection process. Political vision, skills, cunningness, courage and gambling instincts required of leaders and power brokers are all absent in the transition from a colonial past to self-governance.

Administrative robots expertly house-trained by the colonial master are now pitifully inadequate to run Hong Kong as an SAR. Many Hongkongers have this naive and arrogant delusion that Beijing has taken up the role of Britain, manipulating events from behind. Well, this is not the only thing that Hong Kong likes to flatter itself with. China has a long and scary list of critical issues to deal with. I’m sure the childish and inconsequential politicking in Hong Kong are very low on that list, if they are there at all. Sure, main sovereignty issues - i.e. foreign affairs and the military - must firmly remain in the hands of the Central Government. Beijing probably “influences” the financial and economic big picture the same way Wall Street controls the US Federal Government. But the rest? Only Hongkongers are joyously innocent and obtusely confident enough to imagine their self-important SAR being micro-managed by the Central Government.

China has nothing to gain in meddling with Hong Kong’s piddling bickering. In fact, when the time is right, and that would be very soon, Hong Kong would be given the kind of boisterous democracy that many have been flatulently demanding. Why not? It would have no material impact on China’s political landscape and, in the worst scenario, which would be a likely one, Hong Kong can join Taiwan to provide a negative illustration of the shortcomings of a copycat populist democracy to the rest of China - something that is very difficult to achieve through philosophical debates otherwise.

Hongkongers’ big challenge now is to identify a passable candidate who can do the job of Chief Executive when direct election comes. If none can be found after a big stretch of the imagination, then we better start looking for a way to blame Beijing for the failure, or headhunt one from New York.

James Tam 5/9/2011

中文链接：香港的问题

香港的问题 。 。 。

港人治港能力之低，是很多人的意料之外。这除了反映了香港的殖民地历史和英国人培养奴才太监的功夫了得之外，还有其它的客观原因 。 。 。

为了耳根清静，已经足足有三十年家里没有电视了。对于“国际”主流传媒，亦老早失去了信任和兴趣。不过间中还会凑凑热闹翻阅大标题。至于港闻头条，则是与我无关。我基本上与香港幼稚吵闹的所谓“政治”，已经隔绝多时。不过朋友仍然很多。跟他们聊天的时候，总会从闲谈中听到一些经过他们的智慧滤过的本地时事。昨天与一班友人午餐时，东拉西扯之间听到几件近期的港闻“大事”，感觉到这个地方仍然一如既往的不知所谓。

李克强访港时在港大的无聊风波是其一。听起来当时的保安措施，并不比李克勤开演唱会严厉很多。与欧美政要自以为是的高度保安要求，更加不能相比。但校长却要遭受“教育尚未成功”的同学们玩文革式清算。身为香港最高学府最高领导人的徐校长，竟然“死死气”地跟随着本地的最高智慧，至紧要保住分工。完没有一个学者坚持原则的情操，勇气和尊严。

另外又听到港铁从纽约请了个新总裁。哇！香港搞了几十年地铁，成绩斐然。与伦敦纽约相比，不论服务水平，整洁程度，安全记录，都胜过太多太多。竟然连个本地的继任人选也没有？机构内一个（不论种族）可以胜任的香港人也找不到，而要远赴比港铁低班很多的纽约猎头？地铁一例，是否证明香港人如果不是一群几十年也学不会开火车的笨蛋，便是对外面世界一无所知的白痴，或只懂得靠盲目崇外来满足自己的强烈民族自卑感的奴才？呃，也不出奇。中文大学连研究粤语正确发音的项目，也靠美国耶鲁大学支持，可想而知。

本来香港虽然政治上一塌糊涂，但在脱离了政治滋扰的操作范畴上，仍然有很多国际首屈一指的成就。 随便数数：以港铁为核心的公共交通是其一；机场过关的效率是其二；基本上高度克制和大致合理的警队是其三。既然香港这条烂船还有好几斤钉，受了人家好处要搞鬼和急于要找新鲜话题作秀赚几个钱的政客才子，传媒喉舌人之类，当然仍有必要大力针对。

话题一转，有人提到政府派每人六千块的闹剧。连派钱也可以派到一身蚁的政府，我看应该是人类史上的一个突破了。小小的澳门，派钱派了好几年，风平浪静，举澳欢腾。香港为何不学习一下呢？理由是小澳门比较落后，喜欢按照人情常理来办事。大香港比较先进，凡事按照公务员就业需求而复杂化。是两个截然不同的理念也。

港人治港能力之低，是很多人的意料之外。这除了反映了香港的殖民地历史和英国人培养奴才太监的功夫了得之外，还有其它的客观原因。除了封建皇朝的末代君主之外，不论任何政治制度下的领导人，一般都要经过现实权力斗争的洗礼才可以上位。上位之后，要坐稳交椅，也必须具有高度政治眼光技巧和管理智慧，还要懂得权术和深谙平衡之道。必要作出牺牲，妥协，斗争，或赌博的时候，能够当机立断。即使没有大将之风范，也必须具有奸雄之谋略。以上的基础条件，在殖民地长大的香港政治家领导人，丝毫不备。但由于历史原因，通通都跳升了十几班直上高位。

香港很多“评论员”经常口沫横飞地把港人的历史性贫血，归咎于“阿爷”背后干预。哎，这类人的无知自大，已经到了不可理喻的滑稽程度。现今国际形势，正处于严峻的转捩点。中国面对的内外挑战一大串，复杂微妙，都有着巨大深远的影响。京官们又哪来闲情去理会香港幼稚吵闹的政治闹剧呢？反正大的主权事项如外交军事等，已经顺利接收过来。有关经济金融的大局，可以效法华尔街控制华盛顿的一套来间接管治。其它的事情，都是些无关痛痒的茶杯风波。做大事的人，谁又会有空理会呢？

中央插手香港鸡毛蒜皮的小人斗嘴政治丑剧，只有百害而无一利。在北京九打木人巷出身的政治大佬们，又怎会不清楚这点？香港很多人莫明其妙，整天人喊你喊，粗声大气要争取的来佬翻版民主，很快便会到手。因为美式民主这东西，虽然利弊已经十分明显，明眼人有目共睹。但香港明眼人不多。对于醉心动人口号，喜欢多叫喊少思考的人民，仍然很难说明。所以最佳办法便是给予香港民主。香港有了民主之后，后果应该不难推测。不过最差劲的情况应该也不至于全盘失控。思觉失调的特区也没有影响全国的大局的资格。倒不如让香港与台湾联手，作为大陆十三亿同胞的真实反面教材？

时间无多了。香港人还是赶快想想，当全面直选来临的时候，选谁出来当个稍为像样的特首吧。假如你像我一样，想爆头也想不出一个像样的人类出来担此重任，哪么便要开始动另类脑筋，看看到时候如何把问题赖到大陆人身上去，好挽回香港的面子哦。

谭炳昌 2011年9月5日

Link to English: "What's Wrong With Hong Kong"

The Beautiful North (1) - Finland 美丽北国（1）－芬兰

Finland, an unassuming name representing five million tenacious people doing their own quiet thing so far up north, can be easily overlooked. A modern country with deep traditions, many things about Finland are poles apart. In the summer, the sun never sets. In the winter, it barely rises. The language is unique, mysteriously unrelated to none of its imposing neighbours. The taciturn Finns are expert in communications. While the country is generally meticulous, the Helsinki airport can be inexplicably chaotic when you least expect it.


In my story Man's Last Song, there's a passage on the lakes of Finland in Chapter 2-3 "Isa's Ashes"  http://guo-du.blogspot.com/2010/11/mans-last-song-chapter-2-2-bread.html?spref=tw

芬蘭，一個很女性的國名，代表著五百萬意志頑強的芬蘭人。這個美麗的北國，充滿了異常的極端：一個現代化的國家，帶著深厚的傳統。太陽在夏季不下山；到嚴冬不出來。芬蘭語是個謎，自成一派，與包圍著她的北歐語系和斯拉夫語系，截然不同。芬蘭人沈默寡言，卻是通訊專家。芬蘭的社會，平日井井有條；但赫爾辛基機場，卻偶爾會陷入莫明其妙的混亂。

在「笙歌」第二章之3 「爸爸的骨灰」 中，可以看到幾段描述芬蘭湖景的文字:  http://guo-du.blogspot.com/2010/11/blog-post_23.html?spref=tw

A few pictures from Finland 看看芬蘭：

Most Finns are related to a summer house in the forest, by the lake
大部分的芬兰人都在湖滨森林的渡假屋过夏天

Summer Moon at Midnight
清风朗月，子夜银桥

Finland has 188,000 lakes and 179,584 islands
芬兰有18万8千个湖和18万个小岛

It can be windy at times 刮风的日子

Bird house 雀屋

It's only natural to expect gnomes in this setting
这个环境，的确是培养小精灵的好地方

Lakeside sauna house
湖滨桑拿屋

Sauna is an important part of Finnish family life
一家人桑拿浴是芬兰家庭生活中重要一环

Lots of clean water to wash potatoes
洗幼薯的水多的是，清澈冰凉。

Raclette "hotpot" after sauna
桑拿完毕，来个奶酪烧火锅

Late night by the lake, a lone gull . . .
子夜湖景：寂兮！寥兮！偶然几声水鸥怪叫。。。

The bread on the ceiling was a housewarming present from 1951. Things don't grow moldy!
天花上一串面包，是六十年前渡假屋落成时朋友送的，还没有发霉！

Lake view 1 of 188,000 十八万分之一的湖景

A gleaming vista . . . 漾漾柔波，就是这个样子

Link to Beautiful North (3) - Finland Special Lights

链接到美丽北国（3）－芬兰之光

小說 “笙歌” 第六章 之（4）“狗友”

第六章之（四）「狗友」

宋煥想在九龍公園過夜。一群野狗，狗視眈眈，
評估著究竟應該誰吃誰？

鏈接到上一節：第六章之（三）－「渡伶仃」

宋煥步履蹣跚地沿著彌敦道向北前進。找來的手推車上，乘載著兩個濕了水的大背囊。
 

昔日香港最繁盛的購物大道，現在蕭條清冷。兩旁的名牌商鋪，當年的旺盛人氣，熱鬧虛榮，早已銷聲匿跡。宋煥走在路中央，減低被生鏽空調或鐵窗掉下打中的機會。
 

尖沙嘴曾經是遊客的購物地獄。原有的天然水源，早被鋼筋混凝土重重封殺。加上到處都是搖搖欲墜的光管招牌，所以區內遺民早已遷離。環顧四周不少末世遺跡東歪西斜地掛在橫街巷口：

瘋狂艷舞 － 飲品全免！
    信耶穌，第一好！
        四仔電影 － 真人彩排
學生妹導遊，滿意收錢
        「世界之光」潮人崇拜（電梯按 6字 B）
    風流怨婦，波大熱情 （電梯按 6字 E）
只有相信主，你和家人才可得救！
      
這裏除了是華洋雜匯的摩登市集，還是上帝和魔鬼的最後戰場。在人類完全斷氣前，正邪雙方有如二十世紀名片 “星球大戰” 中的死敵，互以霓虹燈管為武器，拼過你死我活，目的只為爭奪靈魂。
 

現在，連野鬼孤魂也找不到一隻。
 

間中有幾頭野狗，遠遠監視著宋煥。偶爾也會有一兩隻好奇的貓居高跟蹤。但只要他抬頭一望，便消失得無影無蹤。蒼涼的天空，依舊給兩邊高樓夾死，只剩一條狹縫。沒有了城市垃圾，鳥兒都搬到海濱和山上去了；偶然飛過也不作停留，因為這裏連老鼠也不多。宋煥原來估計隨著人類式微，鼠輩會趁機橫行。誰不知剛剛相反。城市老鼠幾千年來不自覺依賴著人類庇蔭而生存。它們躲在社會的黑暗角落過活，不愁吃，也不怕被大自然各式各樣喜歡吃老鼠的凶殘動物捕食。至於人打老鼠，一般聲音高於命中率，根本不構成具體威脅。家裏的肥貓懶狗也好不了多少。
沒有了人，老鼠不但三餐不保，還危機四伏。肥貓懶狗自從瘦了身，消了肚腩，脾氣也變得凶狠，失去了以前那種 “獵殺只為消遣” 的體育精神。抓老鼠變成生死攸關的大事。
__________________

整個下午，宋煥都在找單車。不需要的時候，到處都見到棄置了的單車。現在有急需，卻走遍整區也見不到一輛。終於找到一家運動專門店，內有一列全新單車，還有氣泵之類的配件。但做夢也想不到，這店主最後一次關門的時候會那麼小心眼，把每一個窗每一扇門都鎖死。他肯定打算有一天會重出江湖，大展鴻圖。也許他寧死不屈，不想把真金白銀買回來的存貨，免費讓人拿走。反正此人心態有問題。
閘門雖然鏽斑滿布，卻怎樣也踢不開。哎，有宋笙在，不需半個小時，肯定把它弄掉。但宋笙不在。而他現時的心境，比昨天老了最少二十年，充滿挫敗感，缺乏信心和力量。。。
 

終於在附近找到一輛手推車。
 

花了半天時間，宋煥才不過離家三公里左右。但這三公里的路程遙遠得難以想像，沒有回頭的可能。這半天的時間，恍如隔世。
__________________

宋煥實在沒勁再走了。眼見黃昏已近， 便在附近的九龍公園休息。幾頭野狗離遠監視，似乎在評估它們跟宋煥究竟應該誰吃誰。它們一時間不知如何對付這個不慌不忙的不速之客。宋煥故意吹著口哨，把背囊裏的東西拿出來晾乾。狗哥們見到他鎮定，更不敢輕舉妄動。其中一頭低聲咆哮，裝凶作勢，意圖試探。見大家都沒有反應，便又靜了下來。
 

宋煥吃了條醃炸雞腿，把骨頭扔過去。見到自來骨，狗哥們不顧面子，爭了起來。“狗終歸是狗。來！” 宋煥向其中一頭招手。眾狗見他有所動作，便竪直雙耳，提高警惕，但絲毫沒有意思過來交朋友。它們看上去都很年輕，對人類沒有甚麼認識。
無人飼養後，大狗很快便三五成群結黨獵食。至於北京狗，奇瓦瓦之類的變態寵物，由於被嬌寵的日子太長，本能盡失，很快便餓死或被大狗吃掉。想當年，香港是小狗天堂。把狗當仔的人比認賊作父的要多。這些田鼠般大小的寶貝，逛街拉屎也由主人或傭人抱著，或用車推著，見到合胃口的燈柱才下來大小二便。便畢，主人還會用消毒紙巾擦屁股。它們冬天穿毛衣，下雨穿雨靴，和千般呵護的主人相依相偎，做狗的不似狗，做人的不像人。
 

宋煥並沒有估計錯誤。一般的狗碰見人仍然會敬而遠之，不會無故挑釁。見到尖聲亂吠的小寶貝則另當別論。宋煥親眼看見一頭奇瓦瓦遇上德國狼狗。奇瓦瓦看狼狗不順眼，便迎頭痛吠。大狗一聲不吭，等小寶貝吠到差不多衰歇的時候，才回頭一口。小寶貝沒有吭聲，也沒有掙扎；可能是見到自己流血，嚇昏了吧。大狗叼著血淋淋軟綿綿的小東西，望了宋煥一眼，好像禮貌上確定一下他不是主人，才施施然離去，找個清靜角落進食。

看見狗吃人屍，卻又是另外一種心情。宋笙差不多昏倒過去。
 

父子倆某天與尊信路經一棟低層大廈，嗅到一位鄰居的已故身軀，便跟著臭味找過去。他們一進大宅，便聽到狼吞虎嚥的聲音。宋笙掉頭便想溜，卻一手給老兵尊信抓住。尊信作了個手勢，叫他別走，然後輕輕腳往廚房拿了把菜刀，跟著用大毛巾把左臂厚厚地包護起來。宋氏父子立即有樣學樣。三人臂纏毛巾，手執尖刀，由尊信帶頭，背靠走廊，側身向後廳走去。
 

三條狼狗正在狼吞虎嚥，把一串串的人雜扯出嚼食。一早察覺有人入屋也不理會，只浮起眼角盯住這幾個不速之客。雖有戒心，卻無懼意。
 

屍臭給狗一搞，臭上加腥，分外嘔心。正當宋笙差不多要吐的時候，聽到尊信沈聲命令：“背貼牆，讓它們有空間逃。” 宋笙還來不及驚恐，尊信已經右手高舉菜刀，左手護身前，衝向狗群。幾隻狼狗立即口叼腸臟，黑血淋灕地從他們身旁走過，奪門而逃。
 

狼狗一走，大群蒼蠅立即擁回屍身，繼續進食。

__________________________
2011年4月 10日 於过渡网发表
2014年11月修訂

鏈接到上一節：第六章之（三）－「渡伶仃」

鏈接到下一節－「第一站」：宋煥千辛萬苦來到元朗，與他的平生死敵共處。

Why People Believe in 911

More than ten years after the 911 drama, when emotion should have long ebbed, and with so much video evidence to show the WTC collapsed without regard to fundamental science, the official story is still believed by many. Why? 

Here are my speculations:

1) A lack of courage (rather than judgement) to face the unthinkable monstrosity and corollary helplessness might have forced many to turn the other way. After all, dismissing the valid questions as a "conspiracy theory" is much less disturbing (and more energy efficient) to the mind than research and analysis.

2) Faith: Ah, that Enemy Number ONE against human reasoning again. Admitting the implausibility of 911 would naturally imply some degree of conspiracy involving the government. Some prefer to believe that the US government, so verbally dedicated to morality, couldn't have committed such an atrocity. So, evidence matters little; faith based beliefs are by definition impervious to objective reasons. 

3) General ignorance in its more innocent and blissful form. We have that in abundance, of course.

Some might ask: Where are the “insiders”? 

你认识这个籴字吗？ Do you know this word: 籴？

这是籴米的籴字，发音 di， 粤音与“笛”同。哦，一讲“笛米”，大家都听过，买米也。不过在我平常交往的文盲圈子里，大部分人已经不再认识这个在传统中国人生活中很重要的一个字。

小时候的香港人，都说籴米，随着“米铺” 式微，大家由籴米变了去超市“买米”，正在瘦身的人，还当米是毒药，谈米色变，籴字才逐渐从我们日常的语言中消失。一向以为“籴米”是市井俚语，原来十分文雅。负责漕运物流的官员，写奏章比皇帝，讲到积谷存米时，也用籴字。卖出的时候，是粜米。音tiao。粤音与“挑”同。粜字少用，因为大家都只有买米，很少卖也。

小时候跟妈妈籴米，米铺一桶桶等同小孩身高的香米，上插标签注明品种价钱。妈妈有时会挑两三品种，凭经验混合煮食。米铺会把客人指定的比例混好后，才用麻包袋由送货苦力托上肩头运送，到家之后，倒入米缸，香气扑鼻。那时候家家有米缸，除了养老鼠之外，还可以把青绿酸涩的芒果慢慢 “沤熟”。记得吗？

I bet they don’t teach you this word in Chinese classes: 籴 (di) means specifically “buy rice”, a very important word in traditional Chinese life. It was in common colloquial use in Hong Kong before rice shops were replaced by supermarkets, and people on a low carb diet regard most staples poisonous.

When I was a kid, we used to buy rice (籴米) from neighbourhood rice shops (米铺: mi pu) with big wooden barrels filled to the rim with various fragrant grains. Mum would grab a handful, sniff it, and let it sieve through her fingers. She might then order different types of rice blended for better texture and taste. A coolie would then deliver it in big jute bags, carried on shoulder. At home, the jute bag would be emptied into a rice bin (米缸: mi gang). Every Cantonese household had a rice bin. Besides smelling great, they were excellent incubators for unripe mangoes bought at a discount. 

I though 籴 was a market slang. In fact, it was also a formal word used by court officials in reporting the movement of rice to the emperor. The reverse flow - the selling of rice - is 粜 (tiao)米, a much less common term to the average person.

A big rice shop on the right (circa 1960's)

A modern day rice shop - shrunken and rare
(still surviving, I think)

Note: I didn't take these photos. Just grabbed them from an old photo junk mail for illustration.

Why they freed Ai Wei Wei 为何释放艾未未

I know why they freed Ai Wei Wei. 

Now, just my conspiracy theory: China knows that the International Human Rights Community has been kept unduly busy over Ai, and feels bad about it. It’s like wasting police resources over a petty thief while the big robber goes berserk bombing, torturing, murdering and looting unnoticed. Now that China has let Ai go, perhaps the force of  righteousness could be redirected at Guatanamo? Iraq? Afghanistan? Libya and . . . ? Sorry sorry, Libya doesn’t count. It’s a humanitarian mission aimed at protecting the Libyans; the Central Bank was just a sideline job, my apologies. But the rest is valid nonetheless, and a lot more is coming.

It’s a pity that Ai's going to miss his Nobel Prize though. For a while, I suspected that he was a Chinese trick to overwhelm the Nobel Prize with 60m mud squeezing artists and a few hundred thousand chanting monks, year after year after year. Evidently, I was being too cynical as usual . . .

我大概知道他们为何释放艾未未！

中国政府知道艾未未一事，令到国际人权分子忙不过来，所以没有时间监察美国在本土，“关塌哪妈”，伊拉克，阿富汗， 利比亚 。 。 。 等等等等 的人权状况。呃，等多一等，利比亚不算数。利比亚属于人道行为，因为 “噢斑马” 说过，去利比亚是为了拯救利国人民；第一时间搞了间 “美资利比亚中央银行” 只不过是附带任务，纯属巧合。反正我认为中国是觉得由于艾未未一个肥佬，搞到全世界团团转，有如浪费警力：试想，众家丁为了追个小扒手，任由汪洋大盗杀人放火抢劫兼强奸，无法无天，实在说不过去。所以良心发现，把老艾放了。

我本来希望中国会发动五六千万个会写新诗或捏泥公仔的同胞，和几十万不大会诵经的密宗和尚，把未来五十年的诺贝尔奖都由炎黄子孙承包下来，让挪威全国的空凳，通通派上用场。这个壮举，在当今国际形势之下，本来是大有成功希望的。无奈北京好像没有这份闲情和野心 。 。 。可惜，可惜。

Remember the Gulf of Tonkin? 有人记得东京湾吗？

Anyone remember the Gulf of Tonkin? Probably not. It worked. Therefore Vietnam. How many died? Anything done after the lie was declassified? Nope. Then 911. 

Hopefully, people won't just let this one go. The following links give us some hope. Some of the most conservative citizens of America are not letting this go. Conspiracy theorists? Uh, not your usual bunch anyway: Mostly engineers, military experts, many Republicans; British MP under Blair, and German MP who worked in the secret service; families of the 911 victims, etc.  Not a single conventional "radical" in case you wonder. 

When something so plainly impossible happens, yet so many are willing to believe the official story, or let it pass because they don't want to face the uncomfortable truth, atrocities much more terrible than Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya . . . WILL continue to happen. Why not? It works so well . . .

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8274552561914055825# http://www.patriotsquestion911.com/ http://rememberbuilding7.org/

记得东京湾的人，大概不多了吧。难怪他们故技重施，变本加厉。东京湾导致美国正式介入越战，结果死了多少人？后来骗局解了密，大家已经忘记，都不再计较和追究。算了吧：所以又有911？


幸好，以上的链接给我们留了一点儿希望。还有不少美国人，锲而不舍，事隔多年，仍然在寻求真相。纽约的市民，正自费大卖电视广告，让人们冷静地重新再看清楚当年的“恐怖袭击”。他们不是一般的所谓阴谋论分子，甚至不是平常热中政治的“活跃人士”。大部分都是一向保守低调的工程师，建筑师，也有高级军人，甚至英国和欧洲的部长级政治家。以他们的专业判断，911的官方故事，大有蹊跷。再说白一点：根本不可能！


911 是一件历史性大事故，是一件违反基本科学原理的大事故，充满了好莱坞电影手法。假如大部分人都愿意相信，或因为没有勇气面对真相而放弃追究，那么更离谱的事情，将会继续发生，制造更多的战祸和悲剧。伊拉克，阿富汗，利比亚 。 。 。只不过是开始而已。

Americans' Missing Trillions

I’ve never labelled anything a MUST READ; but I’m going to make an exception here. The following video (http://dailybail.com/home/there-are-no-words-to-describe-the-following-part-ii.html) is a MUST WATCH if you are puzzled by how they get away with the most rapacious scam in human history. The above hearing does not offer an answer to that. It does, however, reflect the extent of the helplessness of the American people. Unlike imperial subjects in the olden days, they’re supposed to wield control over their government. Evidently, that’s not the case.

Americans have no idea where their trillions (about $30,000 per US citizen, from babies to the near death) have vanished to since last September. Most are probably unaware that they have vanished. The Free Press has been keeping them occupied with war news, moral inadequacies of the rest of the world, terror-fantasies and sex scandals of conscientious young men and uncooperative old men (who allegedly forced their aging penises into resisting mouths full of sharp teeth). 

Kids of the poor are murdering and torturing in Iraq and Afghanistan, getting destroyed in return. Some ventured into Libya to clear the way for the establishment of a Central Bank (does it occur to anyone that it’s an odd priority?) Unbelievably, many actually believe they are in Libya to save lives, to punish yet another dictator! The pliability of human denial seems boundless, and scary. When people must believe - out of ignorance, fear, or a lack of choice - a well-constructed cover is superfluous. Logic and reason are an elitist game, appealing only to a minority. In a democracy, they are negligible. 

Observing contemporary mass denial in highly informed societies, one gets a chilling glimpse of how seemingly impossible atrocities happened in history, and will continue to happen in the future. 

Chinese：美国失踪的数万亿