今時今日嘅兒歌....

「今時今日嘅兒歌係點樣」，筆者舉例的兒歌是奇離和難聽（首麵麵麵麵麵根本係讀歌唔係唱囉好唔好？），但我覺得「honey bees」組合的Honey才是不得不提的例子。歌其實不是真的很不濟－－其實都幾難頂既，不過我喺幼稚園聽過更難頂既「爱我你就抱抱我」：

最不能接受的是家燕媽媽把一班小朋友化著濃粧穿得古怪兼做啲懶CUTE既奇離動作，簡直係教壞細路。

其實我曾經係一個兒歌迷，中學時仲會為錄兒歌而睇閃電傳真機（我有兩盒兒歌VHS，可惜唔見佐）…真係要多謝依家啲兒歌咁不濟，唔係我可能到依家都仲係成日聽兒歌。

六四．二十三週年

長途跋涉到銅鑼灣參加六四燭光晚會，大概是我唯一能為六四做的事。

很多人說「在心中」。只是，我真的無法想像，若某年某天，我們真的只能夠在心中去記念六四時，我們可以怎樣面對我們的下一代……

出席六四晚會，除了是記念二十三年前為民主犧牲的學生，要求平反六四；也是要讓政府知道，人民不會忘記，讓下一代在平反六四之前還可以有的集會自由。

後記於20120722：見到朋友在facebook分享這youtube，當晚我的位置很遠，只是聽到歌看不到這片燭光。點點燭光，很震撼。希望有天，民主真的戰勝歸來。在這之前，只能每年這天到維園坐一下。最怕有天，想在這天到維園坐一下也不能。

民主會戰勝歸來

曲：Anthony@VIIV
詞：Barry@VIIV

(Verse 1a)
白頭浪 默含淚光沖往世外
黑眼睛 觀看歷史哀怨跌蕩
紅日降 正義藏在星宿背後
誰在笑 長夜伴著罪惡放蕩

(Verse 2a)
萬劫不改的眼光
拿著帶鮮血罪狀
用最浩瀚的筆告狀
哪怕像螳螂横著臂
對坦克猶如煉鋼
為國家
我捨身去擋

(Verse 1b)
天有光 夕陽在催促要靠岸
風有聲 傾聽默想怎去破浪
明或暗 信念如舊清澈恬靜
寒或暖 赤了丹心流過血汗

(Verse 2b)
萬勸不改的國邦
拿著鐵腕與慾望
磨了最惡的刀對望
你已在悠悠長夜裡
習慣宰殺如暴漢
忘掉地獄的火
有多燙

Chorus:
民主會戰勝歸來
民主會戰勝歸來
白髮斑斑情意深似海
若化石仍殘存著愛
一刻霸佔的青苔
鋪天蓋
蓋不住世代

民主會戰勝歸來
民主會戰勝歸來
後有巨浪承接這變改
若世上仍留存著愛
即使軟禁斗室內
我自由 與天地 同在

(Verse 2c)
萬劫不改的眼光 拿著帶鮮血罪狀
用最浩瀚的筆告狀
我插下和平旗幟
我指尖成為號角
浪與花
護擁於四方

Chorus x2

我自由 與生命 同在

方勵之先生，安息吧！

下午從電視得知方勵之先生離世的消息，感到很難過。方先生在民主運動後逃離祖國到了美國，到他今天離世，中國仍舊是老樣子，實在叫人黯然……


其實，知道方先生是因為《從牛頓定律到愛因斯坦相對論》，他是其中一位作者。這書對中學時代的我影響很大，可以說是我天文物理以至哲學的啟蒙老師。方先生用初中生也能懂的文字去講解廣義相對論、宇宙學和天體物理學的發展，當中提及的例子（如孖生兄弟去太空、在開動的火車裏於車頭和車尾開槍等）更令我對天文物理學產生了一種強烈的興趣，覺得空間時間等現象很厲害很不可思議。還記得當年我一口氣看了很多物理學和哲學的書籍，中六時更參加了科大的Physics Summer School，當時覺得物理學、量子力學等等很有趣（說來慚愧，這些我現在通通忘記了）。要不是同時參加了Engineering Summer Camp，而又覺得Computer Engineering有趣些，加上當年學校不鼓勵我們選讀純理科，或許我真的會讀物理學。


雖然現在與物理學無緣，但仍要多謝方先生讓我喜歡上天文物理學。謝謝方先生，願您安息。有空定要再看一遍《從牛頓定律到愛因斯坦相對論》和《宇宙的創生》。

脆弱的iRiver Story HD

一直想買一台電子閱讀器。電子閱讀器在香港不太流行，大部份人都喜歡用平板電腦。在網上做了資料搜集，似乎iRiver Story HD在閱讀pdf檔較kindle優勝，而我又經常要讀pdf的文獻，所以三便在美國的 Target store (US$109 incl. tax)買了一台iRiver Story HD電子閱讀器。這部閱讀器的確不錯，為了避免割花，我還特地買了一個保護套。

上星期午飯後，我把iRiver Story HD接駁到電腦時，竟發現屏幕變了這個樣子：

因為我午飯前還在看文獻，離開時把在放在桌上，所以見到顯示屏變了這個樣子，真的嚇了一跳。其實一看也知道顯示屏有問題，不過，「死馬當活馬醫」，我也盡人事嘗試重設（reset），如我所料，一點用也沒有。

於是我聯絡iRiver的支援查詢保養事宜，然而，iRiver的支援人員只是不斷叫我把閱讀器送回Target。我相信Target不會回收一部壞的閱讀器，所以我不斷以電郵向支援人員提問。發了八回電郵，我終於得到以下的回覆：

Dear iriver customer, 

Thank you for contacting iriver customer support.   

Yes, Target should be able to provide you with an exchange unit as long as you abide by their return policy. （如果你符合target的退貨政策，他們應該可以替你更換一台新的閱讀器） For further information on Target’s return policy, please contact them.  The limited 1-year manufacture warranty covers everything except for display damages due to personal usage.  Even though you may not have dropped the device, any form of light impact may have caused the internal crack of the screen（任何形式的輕微碰撞，均可能造成屏幕的內部破裂）.  If you would like, we can provide you with proof showing the point of impact on the display if you send in your unit to us through an RMA process.  We can tell by looking at the screen whether the screen was damaged due to personal usage or not.  In your case, looking at the picture you provided (without opening up the unit at our repair center), it has enough damage to conclude that it was due to personal usage.  

If you have any further questions or concerns, please email us back at any time.   

Thanks & Regards,  

Customer & Tech Support 

XXXXX XXX 

iriver Inc.

從這個電郵：

1. 我相信沒有任何一間公司的退貨政策會容許顧客退回壞了的商品；
2. iRiver  承認他們的iRiver Story HD極度脆弱－－「任何形式的輕微碰撞」也可以造成屏幕破裂。儘管我無法想到在我去了吃午飯的半小時內有甚麼輕微碰可以發生（我的房間裡面沒有人）。或許是一隻巨大的蒼蠅降落在閱讀器上吧。

iRiver Story HD is extremely fragile

I got a iRiver Story HD ebook reader from Target store (US$109 incl. tax) three weeks ago. It was a pretty neat machine and I enjoyed reading papers on it, I even bought a softcase to protect it from scratches.

Last week, after lunch, I connected the unit to my computer for file transfer, I saw this:

Since I was reading a paper on the iRiver Story HD right before lunch, and I just left it on my table, I was shocked to see the screen looked like this. I tried resetting it, although I was quite sure this won't help, and yes, it didn't work.

So I contacted iRiver support for warranty claim. Yet, the iRiver support asked me to return the unit to Target. I doubted if Target would accept a return of a broken machine, so I followed up with the iRiver support, and after emailing like 8 times, I finally got their reply as follow:

Dear iriver customer, 

Thank you for contacting iriver customer support.   

Yes, Target should be able to provide you with an exchange unit as long as you abide by their return policy.  For further information on Target’s return policy, please contact them.  The limited 1-year manufacture warranty covers everything except for display damages due to personal usage.  Even though you may not have dropped the device, any form of light impact may have caused the internal crack of the screen.  If you would like, we can provide you with proof showing the point of impact on the display if you send in your unit to us through an RMA process.  We can tell by looking at the screen whether the screen was damaged due to personal usage or not.  In your case, looking at the picture you provided (without opening up the unit at our repair center), it has enough damage to conclude that it was due to personal usage.  

If you have any further questions or concerns, please email us back at any time.   

Thanks & Regards,  

Customer & Tech Support 

XXXXX XXX 

iriver Inc.

From this final email,

1. I believe it is impossible to abide to any store's return policy with a broken unit (Please let me know which store accept return of a broken unit);
2. iRiver admitted their iRiver Story HD is so fragile that "any form of light impact" can crack the screen. Despite I cannot think of what kind of light impact may have happened during the short period I was away for lunch (with no one else inside my room). Hmm, may be a gigantic fly landed on my machine and caused the light impact.