The best comedy - My Name Is Earl
Robot Dance
Broken heart Randy
What animal would you be?
10.31.2006
10.30.2006
Freedom of Speech
It's official. And it's shame that The Ark forced to cancel the US tour due to the anti-freedom of speech's threat.
After 9.11 the country lost the principle and confidence that everyone proud of. And now the threat is not only against the band, it's against all the Swedish brands and products, against Sweden. Even the threat is extremely minor, but it's extremely sad to see it exists in this country unfortunately.
Last week. A news said BBC is anti-America, and after US sold all the unwanted cigarettes, genetic mortified corn and beans to Taiwan, and forbidden importation excellent quality rice and Bananas from Taiwan, now even threat Taiwan's safety if not purchase the weapons from US. The unfriendly attitude toward to French since the war in Iraq and Lebanon is still growing, but the Statue of Liberty is still standing there to remind us how important the freedom is for everyone on earth. How ironic?
I can't help to wondering how many countries US government is going to against? And how far this hatred will go?
10.26.2006
The Ark 酷斃了的瑞典的華麗搖滾
該是用中文介紹 The Ark 的時候了。（歡迎大家連結！）
原本完全對 Glam-Rock 不感興趣的我，在一場瑞典搖滾演唱會中，發現壓軸的合唱團 The Ark 不僅是華麗，而且還很難得的真的搖滾。他們深受 Bowie, Queen 和 ABBA 等的影響，詞曲容易抓住聽眾的可以馬上朗朗上口，但又可以不算芭樂的複雜深奧。現場演唱會的氣忿好到不行，觀眾完全可以忘我的盯著台上的精湛表演，跟著大聲唱和。你可以甩開平常生活的拘謹，年紀的顧忌，即使是第一次看他們演出，也都會不自覺的被吸引，到完全熱情的跟著唱和瘋狂的跳躍。如果你需要一個新的刺激和瘋狂，The Ark 絕對能讓你一見鍾情，百聽不厭。
1991年成立的瑞典華麗搖滾樂團 The Ark，原本正式的團員有五個人。雙性戀的主唱 Ola Salo 有著迷人又放蕩的嗓子，鬼才的創作，Freddie Mercury 的魅力和 Carravagio 的熱情。他常常濃妝上陣，赤裸著上身，披著迷人的歌德式造型，染著一小片金髮，又男又女的像精靈般的舞著。一頭紅髮的 Jepson 是有著奇妙手指的主吉他手，酷酷金髮的吉他手 Martin 是團長，最有人緣也最迷人的是貝司手 Leari，憨厚的鼓手 Sylvester。而善解人意的鍵盤手 Jens 是最近才正式加入的第六位團員。
Ola 很理所當然的說他的性向和他不羈的人生哲學，完全不隱瞞的表達在詞曲和表演中。當然，才華洋溢的他也常常在台上，很搖滾快嘴的說著諷刺人性或政治的笑話，大家都喜歡他的冷幽默。2002年的 Father of a son 唱出同性戀領養小孩的爭議，短短的 I may be gay. But I can tell you straight away 直接又大膽的用反諷方式道出心聲。2004的 One Of Us Is Gonna Die Young 更提醒大家要及時行樂，而我最愛的是 2000年的 It takes a Fool to Remain Sane，和2002年的 Tell Me This Night Is Over。他們每一首歌曲幾乎都是北歐國家排行榜上的熱門歌曲，尤其在思想開放的瑞典被不分年紀的崇拜，就連上了年紀的文化政治人物都喜歡邊聽 The Ark 邊開車。所以他們也理所當然的被封為是自ABBA之後最令人興奮的樂團。
The Ark 的官方網站裡，有提供每一首歌曲的精華點播，音樂錄影帶的觀賞和完整的歌詞。他們目前正在美國巡迴演出，在美國的人，有機會務必要看看他們的演唱會。他們目前完全屬於獨立出片，尋求唱片代理公司的階段。也許目前國內並沒有出版他們的專輯，但我相信許多唱片行都會樂意幫忙引進好音樂的。仔細用好耳機聽他們的音樂，也希望他們有機會到亞洲演唱，因為大家肯定不會失望。
以下是歷年專輯名稱和一些音樂錄影帶的觀賞。
Album
1996 - The Ark EP
2000 - We Are The Ark
2002 - In Lust We Trust
2004 - State Of The Ark
2007 - Prayer for the Weekend
Video
The Worrying Kind
Calleth You, Cometh I
It Takes A Fool To Remain Sane
Let Your Body Decide
Clamour For Glamour
One Of Us Is Gonna Die Young
10.23.2006
The Ark 22 Oct. 2006 DC concert
Yes. They're back on tour in US with black and gold fancy new look. And ahead of new album release date, the show is amazingly refreshing by many songs yet been performed on stage with even more confidence and glam. Regardless of my show business background and 16 years in Paris. I learned to party like French, that means explosively enjoy the moment as much as possible at the moment only, and always back to self when moment end. That The Ark's show always give me the satisfaction in this philosophy, which I can scream like I'm acting in a Godzilla movie and fade worries into the party only scream. Suggest you to do the same. It's better than therapy.
Please find more pictures from The Ark 22 Oct. 2006 DC concert at my flicker album. And I'll back soon for more happening.
Here is the ending video with Sylvester's high jump drum beat:
10.12.2006
Anti-Hero's Showtime - Dexter
I always though to smoke weeds in US is a crime unless you prove you need it to ease your pain and purchase legally in a pharmacy with a doctor prescription. And this fall, Showtime's popular family show Weeds is on its 2nd season and it's more popular than ever. Now Showtime pushes the anti-hero's button even farther then we can expect. Dexter, a day time blood stains forensic expert also a night time justice serial killer. The actor Six Feet Under gay brother, Michael C. Hall, the wonderful stunning performance that you once believed he was gay and now a psycho serial killer.
Since 3 episodes so far I was stunned by Dexter's world and the new experiment that Showtime makes all audiences swallow. Yes. You can freely choice not to participate this experiment or manipulation like refuse to watch any stupid reality shows. But it's hard to not to prove a slight pleasure when you see Michael C. Hall's Dexter's clever mind and self struggle without agreed with his philosophy. The show likes Psych on USA NetWork has flashback of character's youth to explain how Shawn Spencer grow to be a very good detective, here we see how Dexter Morgan became such a character with his very convincing evil double life. From Six Feet Under, Soprano, The Shield, Weeds and now Dexter, they personalized the so called weirdo and bad people which I guess they're trying to color the good and evil, happy ending cliche that US movies and TV brain washed the world since the past century.
Fortunately. Dexter didn't kill anyone in the 3rd episode, and it didn't gave up the know how to prepare a bloodless cut corp and packed them like meat from the market either. And even Dexter's god playing is hard to reproduce in real life, or find the similarity struggles in each one of us. But it's still hard to enjoy the show after the almost monthly school shooting and non stop street violence due to the gun control problem. We can maybe spend 90 minutes in a theater watching an action movie and call it a cool film and despite the free violence from some irresponsible filmmakers, or love and hate A Clockwork Orange and trying not to watch it again or skip the violent scene. But like some young men in the 1971, copied Alex's one eye makeup, cool style and even his violent acts. From the moment when Dexter found the Barbie message in his frizzer, the point we change side from witness Dexter's secret to feel exciting about the challenge when we see Dexter's reflection in the tiny pink mirror. That I'm sure the weekly show Dexter will affect more people into their life struggle and still naively hoping it won't inspire some might rules for real a double life to play god in the name of the justice.
I'd spent quite some time there in Miami scouting and making action movie which I'm familiar with Dexter's background landscape while watching him walks around at South Beach. The show recalled my everyday life in my past memory which I'm happy about it, and yes. I found pleasure in watching the show and I'll keep watching it or I might also write some sick scripts one day. The fact that show is a success since it aired just like the Weeds. Is because we believe the show has deeper message in it and the Showtime is a very courage and ambitious channel that we all happy its existence? Or is simply because the show digs right into the dark secret deep, deep inside of us?
Does the average audience able to make difference from the show to the real life? Is there an explanation for the execution of those peaceful Amish little girls? Or why the Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle we just saw he cleaning locker room few days ago, killed in a sudden death from plane crashed into a high rise building in Manhattan on 10.11 and make New Yorkers relive the 9.11 nightmare? Maybe we should all move to Des Moines in Iowa, where is supposedly "three years behind" everywhere else?
Darkly Dreaming Dexter - novel by Jeff Lindsay
See Dexter, Weeds links at the sidebar of the page.
10.05.2006
Nursing Home or Cruise Ship? 養老院 還是 遊輪假期？
A fact story. 這是個真實的故事。
About 2 years ago my wife and I were on a cruise through the western Mediterranean aboard a Princess Cruise Ship. At dinner we noticed an elderly lady sitting alone along the rail of the grand stairway in the main dining room. I also noticed that all the staff, ships officers, waiters, busboys, etc., all seemed very familiar with this lady.
大約兩年前，我與我的太太在一艘西地中海的遊輪假期上。一次晚餐的時候，我注意到一位老太太，單獨在餐廳的大旋梯旁用餐。我也注意到船務人員，遊船長官，服務生，收碗盤的小弟等，都對她不陌生。
I asked our waiter who the lady was, expecting to be told that she owned the liner, but he said he only knew that she had been on board for the last four cruises, back-to-back.
我詢問我們的服務生她是誰，本來以為她擁有這條航線，但是服務生說他只知道這位老太太，已經在船上來來回回的做了四趟了。
As we left the dining room one evening I caught her eye and stopped to say hello. We chatted and I said, "I understand you've been on this ship for the last four cruises". She replied, "Yes, that's true."
一天傍晚，當我們離開餐廳的時候，我們遇到她，並停下來向她問好。我們聊著，然後我說，“我聽說妳已經在這艘船上坐了四趟了。“ 她回答說，“是的，沒錯。“
I stated, "I don't understand" and she replied, without a pause, "It's cheaper than a nursing home".
我繼續說，“我不懂。“ 她接著回答，“這比養老院還便宜。“
So, there will be no nursing home in my future. When I get old and feeble, I am going to get on a Princess Cruise Ship. The average cost for a nursing home is $200 per day. I have checked on reservations on a Princess and I can get a long term discount and senior discount price of $135 per day. That leaves $65 a day for:
所以，我的未來將不會有養老院。當我老又無力的時候，我將會去坐公主遊輪。
一般養老院的平均價錢大約是200美金一天。我查過公主遊輪的費用，有老人的長期優惠價，135美金一天。
這樣就會剩下65美金的價差可以:
1. Gratuities, which will only be $10 per day.
每天只有10美金的雜費。
2. I will have as many as 10 meals a day if I can waddle to the restaurant, or I can have room service (which means I can have breakfast-in-bed every day of the week).
如果我可以慢慢走到餐廳，我一天最多可以吃上十餐，或著我可以叫房間送餐服務 (也就是說，我在床上可以吃一個禮拜的早餐)。
3. Princess has as many as three swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers, and shows every night.
公主遊輪上有三個游泳池，一個健身房，免費的洗衣和烘乾和每天晚上的表演節目。
4. They have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.
船上有免費的牙膏和刮鬍刀，還有免費的香皂和洗髮精。
5. They will even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5 worth of tips will have the entire staff scrambling to help you.
你會有客人般的待遇，而不是病人。加個5美金的小費，工作人員會竭力的幫你。
6. I will get to meet new people every 7 or 14 days.
我可以每7天或14天的認識新的人。
7. T. V. broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress replaced? No problem! They will fix everything and apologize for your inconvenience.
電視壞了？要換燈泡？需要換床墊？ 沒問題！ 他們都會幫你做到，還會抱歉造成你的不便。
8. Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don't even have to ask for them.
你連問都不用問，每天就有乾淨的床單和浴巾。
9. If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on Medicare; if
you fall and break a hip on the Princess ship they will upgrade you to a suite
for the rest of your life.
如果你在養老院摔跤，摔壞坐骨，你將會轉到病患部。但是如果你在公主遊輪上，他們會幫你永遠升等到套房。
Now hold on for the best! Do you want to see South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, or name where you want to go? Princess will have a ship ready to go.
好康的在後面！你想要去看看南美洲，巴拿馬運河，海地，澳洲，紐西蘭，亞洲或任何其他地方嗎？公主遊輪都有船隨時開航。
So don't look for me in a nursing home, just call shore to ship!
所以，別到養老院去找我，來港口吧！
ex-employ of Princess Cruise
前公主遊輪人員
10.04.2006
10.02.2006
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