今天不談政治

從來不談政治，今天也不例外，來談談噪音吧…

每到選舉季節，滿街亂竄的噪音宣傳車就不說了，大大小小的活動美其名叫拉抬選情，發表政見，貼近群眾，講白了就是想造勢，想借各種活動告訴大家"我"有多受群眾愛戴，"你"又為什麼只該把票投給"我"。

可是，台上或真或假的熱情，真的能傳到台下嗎? 在經過這麼多年的轟炸和所謂民主的洗禮，有幾個人能從這樣的活動裡，得到比原來就知道的更多一些的資訊? 我應該不會，做為一個就住在適合辦活動的場地邊上的居民，我只聽得見被空間扭曲了之後的無意義的類言語的噪音，不過，就算我聽得出來這些後選人的政見，我也不會願意把票投給枉顧個人權益的候選人。

好像還沒有人不這麼做的，噪音繼續壯大，氣氛依舊熱烈，聽著一遍又一遍的"團結就是力量"，我想，下次要再有人問我為什麼要投廢票，我會回答，因為我受不了噪音！

Songs that linger - Moon Over Bourbon Street

Why in the hell did I miss this song? No idea, but I'm glad that I finally remembered.
The song was such a hit when it was flowing through the dark street with an elegant vampire.

The following is a quote from Holly's blog: (http://users.sisna.com/clio95/bourbonst.html)

"Moon Over Bourbon Street" was inspired by Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice, a novel that was given to Sting by Andy Summers. Sting said the song was "written late one night ('83) in the French Quarter of New Orleans. You can't move for vampires after midnight."


No wonder the song met the movie so perfectly!


Oh, and here is the beautiful lyric:

Theres a moon over bourbon street tonight
I see faces as they pass beneath the pale lamplight
I've no choice but to follow that call
The bright lights, the people, and the moon and all
I pray everyday to be strong
For I know what I do must be wrong
Oh youll never see my shade or hear the sound of my feet
While theres a moon over bourbon street

It was many years ago that I became what I am
I was trapped in this life like an innocent lamb
Now I can only show my face at noon
And youll only see me walking by the light of the moon
The brim of my hat hides the eye of a beast
I've the face of a sinner but the hands of a priest
Oh youll never see my shade or hear the sound of my feet
While theres a moon over bourbon street

She walks everyday through the streets of new orleans
Shes innocent and young from a family of means
I have stood many times outside her window at night
To struggle with my instinct in the pale moon light
How could I be this way when I pray to God above
I must love what I destroy and destroy the thing I love
Oh youll never see my shade or hear the sound of my feet
While theres a moon over bourbon street

小路小小聲之我本善良?!

前幾天跟朋友聊天的時候，不禁小小地感嘆起世事無常而人心的變化更是難測。
小路覺得自已從唸書到現在，一路走來雖然不能說是面目全非，最起碼也有少少面目可憎，自已半夜裡猛的往鏡裡一看，或許還會有被嚇到的可能。
不過朋友卻說，小路雖然表面上有了改變，但骨子裡卻還是同樣的。
從人的本質來看，這是不可多得的恭維了，起碼証明小路在骨子裡是一個我本善良的存在，也才能跟朋友這麼多年交情。但從社會現實來看，小路的本質卻應該很難讓小路變成所謂的成功人士，而且極有可能讓人評做溫情派一類的角色。
我本善良原來是好事，但為什麼在套上了現實的框框之後，就成了件似乎不太好的事。

不知如果狠下心來把骨子裡的東西變上一變，會不會變成卿本佳人奈何做賊的結局?

我本善良嗎?其實小路好想做賊........

Million Dollar Ride

Central Florida News reported this on Nov. 4, 2006.


KSC Safety Roller Coaster (click for full coverage)

NASA plans to build an $8 million roller coaster at the launch pad for the next generation of space vehicles.
Astronauts could use the coaster rail car system to escape from the launch pad in an emergency.


This $8 million dollar roller coaster caught my attention immediately, and just out of curiosity, I'd like to know how much it would be for a ride.

After a quick search on Wikipedia, the first human spaceflight was launched in the 1960's. There were a total of 116 launches in the past 45 years with 4 failure/partial failures.
If the new escape system has, say 20 years life, so the chance it get used mathematically would be around twice in the life time. I assume the basic construction would last much longer, thus subtract at least half of the total building cost.

The result for each ride for the system will be roughly $2 million dollars.

I know this is important system and it would save lives when emergency. I just feel it's something won't be done anywhere else then in the US.

A million dollar roller coaster for escape, how much cooler can this be?

Songs that linger - Englishman in NY, Fragile

OK, OK, I admit it... I am quite a big fan of Sting, and one song is defiantly not enough.

Here is the "Englishman in New York" from his 1987 album Nothing like the Sun. The video I found was made sometime after that for the saxophone was played Branford Marsalis in 1990.


I don't drink coffee I take tea my dear
I like my toast done on one side
And you can hear it in my accent when I talk
I'm an Englishman in New York
See me walking down Fifth Avenue
A walking cane here at my side
I take it everywhere I walk
I'm an Englishman in New York

I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York
I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York

If, "Manners maketh man" as someone said
Then he's the hero of the day
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself no matter what they say
I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York
I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York

Modesty, propriety can lead to notoriety
You could end up as the only one
Gentleness, sobriety are rare in this society
At night a candle's brighter than the sun
Takes more than combat gear to make a man
Takes more than a license for a gun
Confront your enemies, avoid them when you can
A gentleman will walk but never run

If, "Manners maketh man" as someone said
Then he's the hero of the day
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself no matter what they say
I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York
I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York


"Fragile" is another song from the same album and I love the lyric particularly.


*If blood will flow when fresh and steel are one
Drying in the colour of the evening sun
Tomorrows rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay
Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetimes argument
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
Lest we forget how fragile we are

On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are

repeat*

On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
How fragile we are how fragile we are