目前分類：未分類文章 (25)

瀏覽方式： 標題列表 簡短摘要

無意中發現, 過去很喜歡的一部棒球電影, 尤其是劇情後半苦盡甘來的高潮, 友情, 師生情誼,永不放棄的態度..... 藉著棒球, 這部電影告訴我們不止棒球許多人生體驗

 

 


[高画质播放]

『ROOKIES -卒業-』 002　[ショッピング]

Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top
              

這個社會特性, 該用什麼樣的term去概括它? 200年來, 西方社會sociologists 絞盡腦汁coin了一堆term 去描繪他們所處的時代特性,such as industrial society, modern society, post-modern society, consumer society,  risk society, network society, 還有什麼term 沒秀出來呢?

fancy terms總是掛著一些fancy theories, 私自的觀察是, 在當代, 因愈見不著所敬愛葉啟政老師所說的經世濟民情操, 這些東西, 慢慢也只成為一些人考試或寫文章時吊書袋的玩意兒; 不可否認的是, 後進國家, 也包括台灣, 很多人特愛拾人牙慧……No comment

早上聽新聞時,這個term- Lonely society 不知為何特別打動我, 也許它所指涉的現象, 因著長期異鄉人關係, 感受更深; 不久前跟許多人聊過相同的事, 有些覺得並不嚴重, 看來事實真相只有一個: 若非你們是相當幸福的一群! 不然那便是真相被掩蔽了, hope not so ………..

Ps:研究結果出自Mental health foundation這份有趣的報告, 之前一些我的觀察, 在這都得到了經驗佐證, 當然樣本只限英國:

e.g. 英國平均每十個人裡面，就有一個感到寂寞，分 析原因，現代人工作忙碌、人際關係愈來愈疏離是主要原因。

網路儘管使人不出門，也可以和全世界聯繫，然而這樣的聯 繫，和面對面的互動，畢竟是不同…..

http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=78999

Modern way of life leading to loneliness, says new report

  • One in ten people feel lonely often
  • Loneliness a common experience yet 'embarrassing to admit'
  • Feeling alone linked to physical and mental ill health

 

According to a new report released today by the Mental Health Foundation, relationships that are vital to health and well-being are under threat by modern life, which can isolate people from one another and lead to loneliness. UK-wide research* carried out for The Lonely Society? shows that one in ten people often feel lonely (11%) and half think that people are getting lonelier in general (48%).

 

The report says the way in which people now live is impacting on their ability to connect with others. More people live alone: the percentage of households occupied by one person doubled from 6% in 1972 to 12% in 2008. The divorce rate has almost doubled in the past 50 years and the number of lone parent households is rising. People are living longer but many older people are doing so alone. Because of people pursuing careers and education opportunities, many now live further away from their families and the communities they grew up in. Figures show that one in three people would like to live closer to their family to see them more often (35%).

 

Old-style communities are in decline and the closure of local amenities such as post offices and working men's clubs have had an impact on people for whom they were a focal point, particularly those living on the margins of society and vulnerable to loneliness, such as the elderly, people out of work or those living with a disability.

 

Loneliness can affect people of all ages

 

Research in The Lonely Society? illustrates that feeling lonely is not only common among the elderly. A recent report from the NSPCC** found that children are reporting more experiences of loneliness than in previous years, and middle age is a time when people can find themselves isolated as a result of retirement, children leaving the family home, divorce and bereavement, according to the Mental Health Foundation.

 

The statistics reveal that women are more likely than men to feel lonely sometimes (38%, compared with 30%). A greater number of women (47%) than men (36%) have felt depressed because they felt alone, and have sought help for feeling lonely (13% women, compared to 10% men). This is consistent with existing research that women are generally more likely to seek professional help for health related problems.

 

Loneliness a common experience yet 'embarrassing to admit to'

 

Loneliness a common experience: the report reveals only 1 in 5 people never feel lonely (22%) and 1 in 3 people have a close friend or family member who they think is very lonely (37%) yet one in three people would be embarrassed to admit to feeling lonely (30%). This reluctance, according to the Mental Health Foundation, is because western societies take pride inself-reliance.

 

Pressure to be 'productive' can lead to loneliness

 

The charity’s report suggests that a shift in attitudes is also contributing to loneliness. For some, investing time in social activities is seen as less important than work. Evidence in The Lonely Society? shows that people feel pressure to be 'productive' and busy, and as a consequence neglect vital relationships with friends and family. Individuals pursuing aspirations in a market-driven world may be doing so at their own expense, and neglecting the basic human need to connect with others, says the Mental Health Foundation.

 

Loneliness linked to health problems

 

While loneliness is a natural emotion that has played a part in human evolution, feeling lonely for a long time can lead to physical and mental health problems. Polling for the report reveals that four in ten people have felt depressed because they felt alone (42%). Persistent loneliness is also linked to stress, as well as poorer functioning of the immune and cardiovascular systems. Evidence shows that loneliness makes it harder to control the habits and behaviour that can lead to health problems. Lonely middle-aged adults drink more alcohol, have unhealthier diets and take less exercise than the socially contented.

 

Technology: friend or foe?

 

Polling for the report reveals that one in five people say they spend too much time communicating with family and friends online when they should see them in person (18%). The internet has changed the way people communicate but some experts argue that social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter undermine social skills and the ability to read body language.

 

Evidence in The Lonely Society? also reveals that technology doesn't provide the physical contact that benefits well-being. Cognitive function improves when a relationship is physical, as well as intellectual, because of the chemical process that takes place during face-to-face communication. This type of interaction produces the hormone oxytocin, which is thought to underpin the link between social contact and healthy hearts.

 

Technology is no substitute for human interaction, but the Mental Health Foundation says that it can facilitate relationships, both virtual and real, and can be used to reduce social isolation especially for those who are experiencing chronic loneliness, whether the root is emotional or circumstantial.

 

Need to help people experiencing loneliness

 

The charity is raising awareness of loneliness and of the steps people and policy-makers can take to combat isolation. It believes that everyone needs to be aware of the potential health problems linked to loneliness. The Lonely Society? states that individuals at risk of isolation, such as elderly people, those out of work and people with disabilities, should be offered support at an early stage to reduce their vulnerability to chronic loneliness and it’s associated health problems.

 

Comment

 

Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: "Changes to the way we live are putting an increasing number of people at risk of loneliness, which can lead to health problems if chronic. People who find themselves feeling lonely should not have to feel uncomfortable talking about it or asking for help. By raising awareness of the subject we hope to tackle the stigma attached to loneliness and help individuals who are feeling lonely to connect with others."

 

NSPCC head of child protection awareness, Christopher Cloke, said: "Last year ChildLine received nearly 10,000 calls from children saying they felt lonely – an increase of 60% from five years ago.  Loneliness has always been a part of some children's lives but it is deeply worrying that more children are contacting us about this.  In the worst cases children became so desperate that they self-harm or even contemplate suicide."

 






Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top

Gordon Brown resigns

• Labour leader steps down as prime minister and party head
• Queen to ask David Cameron to form government

              

這段告別談話晚上聽了很多次, 感觸良多.....正如早上跟Max聊的, 在這最老牌democractic 國家, 聽他說是二戰以來最激烈的選舉,感受最深的是:electorate跟candidates對於過程與結果皆保持相當風度, 民主啊! 在意的不該是一時輸贏, 看重的是公民積極參與公共生活的意願, 在這, 民主是他們很自然的生活態度, 或者該說是人生哲學吧............

Gordon Brown has resigned as prime minister, clearing the way for David Cameron to form a new government with the Liberal DemocratsConservatives to power for the first time since 1997. that would return the

The Labour leader announced his immediate resignation as both prime minister and party leader in an emotional but dignified statement outside 10 Downing Street at 7.20pm, alongside his wife Sarah.

He said he had told the Queen's prvate secretary of his intention to tender his resignation.

"I wish the next prime minister well as he makes the important choices for the future," he said. "Only those who have held the office of prime minister can understand the full weight of its responsibilities as well as its great capacity for good.

"I love the job, not for its prestige titles and ceremony – that, I do not love at all – but for its potential to make this country more fair, more green, more democratic."

He gave special stress to thanking the armed forcing, saying: "Our troops represent all that is best in our country." He said he would never forget "all those who have died".

His voice faltering, he thanked his wife "for her unwavering support as well as her love", and thanked his young sons, Fraser and John.

Brown said: "As I leave the second most important job I could ever hold, I cherish the first even more: as a husband and a father."

He ended with a simple "Thank you and goodbye" before leaving with his family for Buckingham Palace.

Brown's statement followed the breakdown of last-ditch talks between senior Labour figures and the Liberal Democrats aimed at forming a "progressive coalition" to keep Cameron out of Downing Street.

It also brought down the curtain on 13 years of Labour rule and followed four days of intense political wrangling between the three main parties after last week's general election delivered a hung parliament.

Immediately after his statement, Brown travelled the short distance to the palace in a motorcade.

The Queen is now expected to call on Cameron to visit the palace during the evening, when constitutional protocol requires her to ask the Conservative leader to form the next government. If a deal is ratified with the Lib Dems at a meeting of the party's MPs later this evening, it would be the first coalition in British political history since 1945.

Brown's resignation ended a day that had begun with hope among Labour supporters that, despite having come second at the polls, they might be able to continue in power. Senior Labour figures opened formal talks with the Liberal Democrats after Brown announced he would be willing to stand aside as party leader. But the talks foundered quickly, and senior Liberal Democrats then spent most of the day at the Cabinet Office locked in talks with the Conservative negotiating team; Cameron also met Clegg in private for an hour.

The day had begun with a serious-faced Cameron telling reporters outside his west London home: "It is now, I believe, decision time – decision time for the Liberal Democrats. And I hope they make the right decision to give this country the strong, stable government that it badly needs and it badly needs quickly."

Shortly afterwards, Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, emerged from his house looking tired after talks with Lib Dem colleagues continued into the small hours.

"We will act, as ever, responsibly," he said. "We will act to try to do our bit to create a stable, good government that the British people deserve."

It is understood that the Lib Dem negotiators, David Laws, Chris Huhne, Danny Alexander and Andrew Stunnell, sensed a negative attitude towards a deal from elements of their Labour counterparts, notably Ed Balls and Ed Miliband. This was even though Ed Miliband told the BBC at lunchtime there had been "a good atmosphere" in discussions. There was also a fear that although Labour negotiators said they were in favour of voting reform, they might not have had the political strength to deliver it.

Shortly after 1.30pm, the balance of power seemed to shift towards the Tories once more when William Hague, who was part of the Conservatives' four-man negotiating team, announced that the Tories were about to return to the Cabinet Office to resume negotiations with the Liberal Democrats.

By mid-afternoon, the Tory leader was seen entering Portcullis House, the MPs' office block, with a smile on his face.

During the afternoon, the Labour health secretary, Andy Burnham, said that he was not in favour of a Lib-Lab deal amid unconfirmed reports that his fellow cabinet ministers Jack Straw, Bob Ainsworth, Liam Byrne and Siddique Khan were also opposed.

The former home secretary David Blunkett said earlier that joining a "coalition of the defeated" would spell electoral disaster for Labour.

Another former home secretary, John Reid, said: "Don't forget we have just had the biggest loss of seats in Labour's history. If we are perceived to be responding to that by ignoring it and by trying to cobble something together that patently isn't in the national interest, then we will face the same thing in the future."

----------------------------------------------------------
整個南部都是保守黨的票倉, 希望他別辜負這些選民的期待.............

David Cameron is new prime minister

         
David Cameron has entered 10 Downing Street as prime minister, returning the Conservative party to power after 13 years.



Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top

Barack Obama's healthcare bill passed by Congress

US president says 'this is what change looks like' about reform that ensures coverage for 95% of Americans

          
US president says 'this is what change looks like' as legislation ensuring health coverage for 95% of Americans is backed 


Barack Obama last night forced his bitterly fought healthcare reform bill through Congress, bringing near-universal coverage to Americans and delivering the first major triumph of his presidency.

After days of manoeuvring by the Democratic party leadership to bring dissident party legislators on board and an impassioned plea on Saturday by Obama, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, confirmed that the votes were in the bag. She said she would not have decided to take the bill to a vote unless the necessary 216 Democrats had been secured to push the move through. As it was, the bill was passed by 219 votes to 212.

"Tonight, at a time when the pundits said it was no longer possible, we rose above the weight of our politics," Obama said during a late-night appearance at the White House.

"This legislation will not fix everything that ails our healthcare system, but it moves us decisively in the right direction. This is what change looks like."

House Democrats hugged and cheered as their vote count hit the magic number of 216, and chanted: "Yes we can."

Every Republican opposed the bill, and 34 Democrats joined them in voting against it.

  
 Michael Tomasky: 'A major achievement that has eluded many presidents' 


Pelosi, summing up the debate, described the bill as "the great unfinished business of our society". The bill now goes to Obama to sign into law.

Despite not going as far as many liberals had hoped, the bill will take the US close to universal healthcare coverage and Obama will have achieved the goal that eluded US presidents dating back to Theodore Roosevelt a century ago.

The reform, which will cost an estimated $940bn (£627bn) over 10 years, amounts to a massive change in US healthcare provision, expanding care to 32 million more people, predominantly the poorest, and giving the country 95% coverage.

Obama, whose poll ratings slipped amid criticism that he was a "do-nothing" president, needed at least one major policy success after a series of setbacks in the last 15 months. He told Hispanic members of Congress early last week that the fate of his presidency and their own chances in the mid-term congressional elections in November rested on passage of the bill.

In his final rallying call on Saturday, Obama told his Democratic colleagues: "Every once in a while a moment comes where you have a chance to vindicate all those best hopes that you had about yourself, about this country. This is one of those moments.

"We have been debating healthcare for decades. It has now been debated for a year. It is in your hands."

Given the huge consequences of failure, Obama spent the day on the phone lobbying colleagues.

The vote provided the climax to a year of debate in which the bill at times seemed on the verge of passage and at others about to be scrapped. The issue has divided the country more than any other since the Vietnam war, and led to the rise of the anti-establishment movement the Tea Party.

Thousands of protesters gathered outside Congress at the weekend, shouting "kill the bill". Some directed racist and other derogatory remarks at African-American members of Congress, including John Lewis, one of the veterans of the 1960s civil rights movement. One congressman was spat on.

Another protester shouted "faggot" at Democratic congressman Barney Frank, who later told the Politico website: "It's like the Salem witch trials, and healthcare is the witches. There is mass hysteria."

The 178 Republicans unanimously opposed the bill, as did some Democrats. The balance was held by a bloc of about 10 anti-abortion Democrats, led by Bart Stupak, who were worried that public funds could be used for abortions.

After Obama promised to issue an executive order to prevent cash being used in this way, other than in cases of abortion after incest or rape, Stupak told a press conference that he would support the bill. "We're well past 216," he said.

A vote to set out the procedures for passing the legislation was later passed by 224 to 206. The Republican leader in the House, John Boehner, described the bill as armageddon and predicted the electorate would punish the Democrats for it in the mid-term elections in November.

The House of Representatives was voting on a version of the bill passed by the Senate on Christmas Eve. Obama, who cancelled a trip to Australia and Indonesia in order to be in Washington for the vote, is expected to sign the bill into law within hours.

The House, unhappy with parts of the Senate bill, is to pass a separate bill that contains revisions. The Democratic leader in the Senate, Harry Reid, promised the House Democrats that if they passed the Senate version of the bill, he would repay this by passing their revisions.

The bill with revisions is expected to go to the Senate this week, where procedural wrangling could last days or weeks. But the Democrats, who have a majority of 59 in the 100-member chamber, only need a simple majority to secure its passage.

When the Senate passed Obama's bill on Christmas Eve, success seemed at hand. But the Republican Scott Brown had a surprise win to take Ted Kennedy's former Senate seat in Massachusetts in January, partly because of opposition to the bill, and the Democrats panicked.

After internal debate in which a more modest bill was considered, they recovered their nerve and pushed ahead with comprehensive reform.

Obama's predecessors struggled with healthcare. President Lyndon Johnson made the biggest contribution by creating Medicare in 1965.


Senate passes historic health care bill

        


Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top
看著豪雨釀災;
政府救災考量時,地緣政治操作的機關算盡;
乃至一個在歐洲備受尊重的宗教長者, 正被刻意地虧待著....

傷感

這樣去羞辱一位慈祥長者的人們,
您們合理化的政治行動, 真是經得起理性詰辯, enlightened的行動嗎?

我們的political leaders,
相關的決策考量, 還保有那麼一丁點對人類普世價值 (freedom, liberty) 的信仰與堅持嗎?

這個island,
終將是我們及未來子孫安身立命之地, 未來....還有沒有追夢的勇氣呢?



Lyrics to I Have A Dream :
Five score years ago a Great American sign and proclaimed you know
The Emancipation that brought a beacon light of hope to plenty of slaves who had been seared called Negroes
The flame of injustice and now a hundred years have passed and now today we must face the true tragic facts
The Negro is still not free and though impossible it seems…”I Have A Dream”

The Constitution reads and gives the promise that all men be guaranteed
pursuit of happiness, pride of life and liberty a check of independence cash and decree.
But it is obvious America’s at fault, default on its promises gave citizens of all
And now we must demand our right to be free ‘cause I have a dream.

I have dream. A dream that one day Black boys and black girls will join hands
White boys and girls and we’ll stand sisters and brothers.
Yes I have dream. A dream that one day, mountains and hills be made low
And all the world is told the crooked’s been made straight. Till His glory is seen…. “I have a dream.

To overlook the urgency, it would be fatal to deny equality.
The autumn of freedom the year of 1963, but a beginning of the end of will be.
But there is something I must say to my people .Who stand on the threshold into the palace where we go.
Let’s not be guilty of violence and wrong deeds. Cause I have a dream.

I have dream. A dream that one day
This nation will rise up and see the truth of this creed and equal all men will be.
I have a dream. A dream that one day,
With a new meaning we will sing, “My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty.”
Freedom will ring, will ring, cause I have a dream.

MLK: And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

I have dream. A dream that one day Black boys and black girls will join hands
White boys and girls and we’ll stand sisters and brothers.

Yes! I have dream. A dream, a dream that one day mountains and hills be made low
And all the world is told the crooked’s been made straight. Till His glory is seen…. I have a dream.

Freedom will ring, cause I have a dream. Though it impossible it seems. I have a dream.

MLK: “Sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream!
When all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" My four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!








Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top

 

 

偏好, 這個很抽象的term,想要談些什麼? 又要怎麼談呢?

 

如果僅就我論文的東西, 那個偏好的定義是再清楚也不過了, 就是政策偏好, 凡人皆會支持對他最有利的policy。

 

不過困擾一般人的偏好問題, 通常不是這個, 它遍及人生各個層面, 價值, 消費, 友誼, 親密關係……每個人對這些事物, 多多少少都有自已的堅持, 這原本便不是什麼稀奇的事, 儘管也可能有人, 不一定清楚自己要的是什麼 (這種人太少, 這裡不處理)…

 

令人煩惱的是,  當你對自己的偏好，已有定見，就真的會有機會,可以滿足那些偏好嗎? 至少,目前的我,認為有….

在這裡,不想用學術jargon去談, 所謂”機會”這個的東西, 讓我聯想天地人 (註1)吧! 大概最近這部大河劇, 給我一些啟發:

 

天時: 就是時機, 好的時機, 你可以事半功倍地滿足你的偏好; 不好的時機, 再多努力也可能要徒呼負”吧? 把握時機固然重要, 但是在不那麼好的時機下, 如何持盈保泰, 迂迴追求你想要的東西, 也是智慧! 至少就我而言, 這個degree, 相對之前的經驗, 讓我學會了更有耐心去等待你想追求的東西! 

 

地利: 指的是所在環境, 有沒有辦法助你一臂之力。

除非是達官貴人家庭出身的,不用煩惱這個問題。 一般人對於可能遭遇的環境, 通常沒太大選擇的機會, 甚至環境變動過大, 便能輕易將一個人打倒…..所以這也是人年紀愈大, 愈圖環境安逸的原因之一…. 在這想強調的是, 即便人沒有那所謂100%選擇環境的自由, 哪怕是20%的自由,讓你有機會去選擇或改變那個環境, 進而對你的偏好滿足有一點幫助, 人們都不應該放棄這個機會!

 

人和: 這大概涉及人我關係, 人際關係順暢, 於公於私, 對你一定會有很大的幫助! 至少我所看到的那些social capital, social network研究, 最後結論都是想證明這個….

 

可是每個人都來自不同的環境, 所以實在很難要求其他人都得配合我們的要求, 相反地, 有時也要適度讓自己成為他人可以接受的人吧! 至少在這部份, 我是以為人們擁有100%的自由, 去提升自己的修養, 如此,不只能讓你自己跟其他人相處可更為融洽, 也比較能說服你身邊的人協助你追求夢想!

 

總之, 對於天時, 雖然我們是被動, 但要懷抱希望; 對於地利, 要利用那有限機會, 親近甚而改造環境, 至少不要讓環境惡化成為你的阻礙…至於人的部份, 當然是不能辜負你的主體性, 好好自我修養, 經營更好的人際關係, 即使面臨短暫的失敗, 你也會有朋友, 鼓勵你不要放棄希望….

 

為什麼要寫這東西, 剛開始下筆, 好像目標蠻明顯, 寫到後來, 卻有點get lost… 想了很久! 想到了, 出發點, 大概是跟年紀大了, 抗壓性變差有關吧??

 

例如:台灣的失業率好像要逼近6%, 就業環境也愈來愈precarious….

 

前幾天, 經建會發佈那個宅男敗犬的數據 ( http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090609/1/1kynv.html ), 也讓我心有戚”焉......

 

一些認識的人, 即使工作穩定, 還是有不為人知的煩惱……

 

看到這些時空變化, 整個外在環境變得讓人愈來愈難掌握….

像: 2000年碩士班畢業時,工作機會非常多, 不管你喜歡的或不喜歡的….

學生時代,如果想跟人交往, 也不會像現在有點彆扭….

年少時, 也比較不知道所謂人情冷暖, 出國後, 經歷很多, 難免有些失望, 也不知道有沒有機會找回最質樸的人與人關係的一天

 

不過即使天時, 地利再怎麼站在我們的反面, 人也不能失望! 所以上面林林總總, 無非都是我用來說服自己, 有時也會鼓勵其他人要堅強的理由! 沒有這些精神戰力, 隨波逐流下去, 很難想像那種生活會是怎樣….畢竟人啊, 在生活中還是會對他所在的時空起那一丁點的作用, 所以人們, 沒有悲觀的權利, 打起精神, 一定會有那個機會出現, 滿足你的偏好, 只要你那時是well- prepared!


註1:　所謂"天地人"一劇腳本之名稱,是inspire from《北越軍談附錄   謙信公語類》中的以下的一段話而來　（見博客來火坂雅志天地人簡介）

「輝虎（謙信）公曰：所謂可掌握天時、地利，並統攝人和之大將，即使在中國與日本兩大王朝的上古時代亦未曾聽聞，不，甚至 連近世也未曾有之。誠然，能三者兼備者，必不致起弓矢，亦無有敵也。」









Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top

 

Stage 3: 曾有一段在英國時間, 我不但沒有得到所謂的優越感, 也失去了自信心…在那個人生很灰暗時段, 自己也沒有去找過老師談過什麼, 因為我知道這是個實力社會, 事實上也是如此, 當我走出低潮時, 很多原本冷淡的表情都慢”地綻放出笑容出來….

 

這也許就是世間冷暖, 但是從此我想了很多….並許不是每個學生都是生來就是elite, 都不用經過不成熟階段…..那種放牧式,適者生存的教學理念, 或許可以把最優秀的菁英拔擢出來,但是其他失去成就感的學生, 做為老師的你就要放棄了嗎?也許不是所有學生都能像我幸運地度過那艱苦歲月…..所以有時想想, 那段等待日子, 讓我對老師的意義有了如下體會:

 

1.      書本的很多東西,是該學沒錯, 但那是幫助你幸福的工具, 不是你人生的目的! 如果所謂書中自有黃金屋那些道理能成立的話, 自己跟很多朋友還需要當宅男嗎?? 重點還是該放在在每個人想要的幸福是什麼, 在這裡, 老師能做的就是, 把這個想法傳達給你的學生, 有機會協助他們找出他或她的目標。

 

2.      相對於之後職場生活, 大學還是相對單純, 允許實驗的環境。它有很大空間讓年輕人處理他們必須面對的問題, 像自我認同, 目標定向, 情感依附, 有些事, Career centre可以做 , 但我一直在想, 尤其是可能成為社會科學老師我們, 如果可能, 是不是更該幫助學生們度過一些低潮期。 至少就我而言, 我的研究焦點永遠是擺在人的身上, 如果對有煩惱的學生,沒一點同理心,那也實在說不過去。

 

3.      最近時常回想之前我的老師, 當他們退休時, 他們記得了多少學生? 又有多少學生會記得他嗎?

 

如果只是少數他維護的傳門弟子, 那實在有點可惜….一個教室內, 你已經放棄了許多一樣有趣的學生…我曾跟一個朋友談, 如果有那個機會, 我希望在我未來的msn list上另闢一個寶貝學生專區, 在網路上, 我們關係是平等的, 而在生活中, 我也只是他們的大朋友……如果有這樣都開得起玩笑的互動, 他們對你的印象, 就不該只停留在這是不是個分數給得甜不甜的老師? 有可能成為新時代的老師的我, 一直有個感覺, 應該放下早期師生那種距離感, 朋友關係才有利打破現在那種師生心結  。

 

4.      有人會懷疑說, 花那麼多時間給你的學生, 你哪有時間研究? 我想這是時間管理的問題吧! 你把跟學生相處的時間省下來, 你的研究就真的會有重大突破?? 有很多時候, 那些時間, 很多人只是拿去從事個人休閒活動, 很多英國老師大概都是這樣…..所以歸根究柢, 還是個人價值取捨問題, 至少就我而言, 我會提供一定的時間給有需要學生…..因為自己曾經在很灰心時, 是那麼希望老師扶我一把, 即使是沒…..但我知道那種感受….

 

5.      面對學生, 有時老師是可以放下你的專業架子。很多專業架子, 我想拿去international meeting 或是你同行間, 讓別人看重你, 是有其必要….但對於那些年青人, 還是用他們可以接受的語言, 把你想傳授的知識教給他們吧!

 

基本語文的修飾,當然是必要, 不過過多賣弄你的專業, 只是增加學生的學習挫折感,。如果老師最終想看到的只是要學生學會某個必要的東西, 那也該選學生比較容易上手的方式吧! 至少就我觀察到我的老師Ian, 英國社福界應該是最top 5的professor, 他的上課總是很平易近人, 學生即使問了非常簡單的問題, 他也不以為意, 用著不同方式講解….

 

6.      其他師生娛樂活動, 目前討論可能不是很成熟, 看看以後自己居家空間大小。 我曾跟一個朋友, 這麼雞婆的人, 不當老師, 未來的學生大概會覺得很寂寞吧? 畢竟他們可能少了每學期到老師家把酒言歡的機會…..她笑了

 

寫在2009的此刻, 無非是要提醒自己, 別忘了這個我與未來學生們的約定! 在見到你們前, 這個阿宅老師正一直努力, 不管在專業或人生態度上, 也許這個想法看似有些另類, 也不知道台灣社福界會不會就此出了個山口老師? 最好是有, 因為這會是對你們也是對我自己很好的嘗試跟挑戰, 如果有那個機會, 請珍惜這得來不易的師生情誼!

 

Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top

 

5月19日,如果是三年前, 因為努力想得到兩樣東西,結果只拿了一半,另一半卻落空, 我肯定會失望一個星期; 今天不巧地又讓我遇到一樣的情況, 悶悶不樂一天, 是一定的。不過現在的我, 已經會轉個念頭看待事態發展…..只是不知從何時開始, 總感覺是不是年紀大了, 連自己有自信的東西, 也變得像感情一樣, 要順其自然, 不需勉強?? 好吧! 10月我會再回來努力一次, 也許老天希望我幸苦一下….不然呢?

 

不管如何,回到家, 這一天也將近尾聲了,那些negative東西就全留在門外, 因為我不想因為這種陰鬱的天氣跟情緒打亂這幾天在思考的東西….

老師究竟是為了什麼存在?

 

我的思考是從接了好友老婆葉婷的感謝信, 及看了下面這則新聞開始, 那個早上, 中午, 黃昏延著河道回家時, 一直在想如果是自己面臨了同樣情境, 會是什麼樣反應??

--------------------------------------------------------------

 RE: your story on BBC China website‏

Hi Peter,

Thanks again for your help on the other day. The story has been published on our website, you can log into  <A href=" http://www.bbc.co.uk/china/"> to read it.
 
Or you can click thelink below to enter the story directly.
 <A href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/china/studyintheuk/qanda/story/2009/05/090514_qanda_sociology.shtml"> 
 
Take care
 
Ting
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

老師缺乏同理心師生難交心

 〔記者張聰秋／彰化報導〕校園師生關係緊張越來越常見，私立建國科技大學學生不滿老師說話的技巧只是冰山一角，專家直言，學校不能再漠視此一問題，以免加劇問題嚴重性，讓老師教得挫折，學生學得沒信心，造成教育資源的浪費。

近年來極力提倡大學老師接受專業師資養成訓練的國立彰化師範大學副校長郭麗安一針見血指出，國內的大學老師不需要教師證，沒有硬性規定要修滿26個專業師資的學分，只要擁有傲人的學歷，會做研究報告，就能在大學任教。

郭麗安表示，能當大學老師，基本上，在唸書過程都是資優生角色，沒當過學習落後生的角色，這些老師如果沒有學習如何與學生溝通，如何教學生，很容易有師生關係破裂的問題。

她建議大學老師們，接受大學生高中化的現象，以有教無類的精神，把自己當成只比學生程度高一階的態度教導學生，慢慢扶持學生，不要站在山頂上遙望學生，嘗試走下山坡接近學生，讓學生就近就能摸到老師的手，與老師一起成長，如此學習效率才能提升，而老師的心態改變就不會失去理智嫌學生笨。

另一方面，郭麗安建議各大專院校加強師資養成訓練，彌補大學老師未修過當老師的必修學分。

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

現在的老師跟學生到底是發生了什麼問題??

 

我想大家一定經常會聽到一堆老師嘴炮, 抱怨現在學生程度愈來愈差, 時間總花在宿網打線上遊戲或聊天交友….

 

在這裡, 我想替學生平反一下。因為之前我跟對岸大陸博班學生同住時, 他們一堆人整晚也是在打線上遊戲, 有些都畢業了, 而且在英國找到不錯的研究工作…..所以我猜不少年輕的研究人員, 晚上可能也是用功的玩家……所以用那些線上活動, 直接推斷學生程度不好, 是有些牽強!

 

而我們似乎也常可聽到學生抱怨老師只在乎授課, 按時評量, 未曾關心他們的生活問題?

 

我離開台灣很久了, 也許在這點說不上什麼。如果僅就個人經驗,似乎是有那麼一回事, 但那也只是一個樣本,根本說不了什麼事,不是嗎?

我能看到的英國情形---最理性化社會的學術機構, 學生跟老師關係完全便是公事公辦, 其他方面, 彼此都有那個默契不會去打擾對方….所以即使學生很痛苦時, 我想他們求助對象,永遠不會是老師, 這難道是我們台灣想仿效的嗎?

 

尤其在現在台灣的大學對新進教師訂下很嚴格的六年條款, 要求每個新老師必須在六年內publish一定數量且上得了抬面的東西…..這個規定, 已經使許多老師把更多時間留給自己做研究….那種無形的壓力,從家裡的人身上已經可以感受到! 老師啊! 已不大如前悠閒自在, 未來研究的工作只可能愈來愈繁重….

 

當面臨新世代學生有新的需求, 而新老師又有研究生產的壓力下, 這個師生心結看來似乎可能愈結愈深? 前幾天, 我便在想如果有那個機會, 站在那個講台, 自己會如何處理這個難題? 想了幾天, 發現這真的是個好問題? 但也發現, 答案一定因人而異, 不過自己比較幸運的是, 大概是兩年前一次重大跌倒後, 讓我想當老師的動機有了很大質變….

 

Stage 1: 在大一時, 因為地調調皮,曾被老師叫去他的研究室訓話。在那個辦公室, 我看到了原來老師的研究室可以那麼悠閒自在,唱盤, 水族缸, 紀念球衣….被訓完回去後, 我很高興跟著好友律學說, 有機會, 我想要同樣的working place….

 

之後每年都會安排導生談話, 陸”續”進了不同老師研究室, 真的是各有千秋。結果,這個奇怪的心理, 竟是刺激我考研究所的最大動力…因為我想當老師, 好像只有老師可以有那麼自由地抽著雪笳優雅地工作…….也許有的現在是老師的, 他們的想法是停留在這個層次, 如果是, 我覺得是有點可惜了。

 

Stage 2:等我進了研究所後, 那些念不完的paper, 要讀很多次才能有漸有心得的原典, 慢慢地發現, 想坐到那個位置, 的確得下比別人多的時間、功夫, 這點很多理工宅並不陌生, 他們大概也是類似原因變成可憐宅男的吧!

但是對我而言, 能一口氣用別人想不到觀點 (在我們社會科學大概是用這個term), 解讀出一些別人難以理解的東西, 無形中你也是很成就感的….而來英國後, 不同老師間, 不同學生間在較量的,無非就是誰的思路更清晰。 當你能證明你是頂尖時, 大概就能感受那個報導中所提的優越感吧!至少就自己而言, 感覺到的機會不多….. (continuing )

 

Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top

 

我知道Mother's Day快到了!在學校郵局, 超市, city center的紀念品店前, 尋找著想要的母親節賀卡, 我並沒有猶豫要不要買卡給媽”; 困擾我的是, 不知道要用什麼文字才能書寫我對她的愛與感謝…..從小,媽”總是悶著頭, 滿足我的任何需求,卻沒有要求我必須幫她過節的習慣。

 

而說起自己對母親節最初印象,大概是小學的課本, 讓我一直以為這是西洋人才過的節日, 即使長大了, 我也沒買過一個像樣的禮物給媽”。大學時, 在新光三越前, 隨手買了一束花準備去參加聯誼, 結果當想送給心儀女生時, 才發現是康乃馨, 糗了吧! 當然是送不出, 不過幸好那天是母親節, 聯誼回家後,我轉送給媽, 這就是我第一次送花給媽”的經驗, 但我想她內心還是很高興 (os: 印象中,律學,你好像有跟那收不到花的女生說: 我這個朋友是比較孝順厚)。來到了英國, 前幾次過節, 跟她提起想買一些東西給她, 但她總說買我自已要用的…..這就是我老媽!

 

媽”, 在我小時候對我們兄妹似乎蠻嚴格, 尤其是課業, 也許這跟她是國中老師有關, 她總希望子女可以接受更好的教育,擁有更好的未來。2009現在, 妹”已經成功了, 而我還剩最後階段, 但也快了, 我有信心….. 兒時記憶, 相較於弟妹, 媽”給了我相當高的自由度。一直到高中前,自己的功課, 從沒讓她煩腦過, 不過那時的我, 最喜歡的是畫圖, 也許這才是老天賜給我的天份吧? 印象中, 幼年的我, 在全省美展拿下很多大獎, 也因為這樣, 幾乎是學校的風雲人物, 在媽”想法中,在不妨礙學業下, 她全力支持我自由揮灑對繪畫的創意, 可能是因為媽”當時的信任及支持, 種下了我媽寶(媽”的乖寶”)的性格…..

 

之後原本打算去明倫國中延續畫圖的夢想, 可惜她擔心兒子如果當了畫家會沒錢途, 最後還是選擇就讀一般升學國中。 國中時, 即使成績還是很好, 不過並不快樂, 因為自己總覺得像一隻原本應該在天空翱翔的老鷹, 卻沒了翅膀自由來去那他最愛的天空……從那時, 我就知道這一生即將失去這個最自豪的長處…..國三時, 曾趁著一個有那麼點喜歡的女生午睡時,匆”素描了她的畫象給她, 她收到很高興, 亮著眼睛問我說: 為何沒繼續走繪畫的路, 不語…….不過那個高中聯考前難堪的戀情,從此讓….不想再替任何人女生做畫…..因為不能畫畫, 使我之後每當學業不順時,總會以此對母親頗有微詞, 不過我想這都藉口………..

 

高中時, 大概是我最叛逆的時期, 現在想”之前自己責怪母親中斷我畫畫的理由,其實是不成立的, 因為建中還是有美術社的, 而在入學第一天, 我就入社,希望重拾畫筆。 不過中斷畫圖這麼久, 讓我想跟上其他學長的程度, 難免顯得有些吃力…即便如此, 我還是一直想在高一下, 能在校刊擺上自己插畫, 努力了,也投稿了, 不過可能因為有更好的作品,我的落選了….., 只因一時失望,退社了….現在想想自己會淪為宅宅, 不用埋怨什麼, 最後把畫圖夢想終結的不是媽”, 而是自己啊!…. 當時的叛逆心理, 也讓我對媽”的任何建議採完全抵制態度, 比較重要的有高一結束時的性向測驗, 建議我該去念社會組啦! 媽”也說了尊重性向發展, 她不反對我去社會組…..

但那時的我, 在乎的卻是學校不成文的門戶之見, 因為在建中年級分班中,社會組只配置了六班, 許多謠言都是成績不好的人才不得不選社會組….結果好勝心讓我在第2類組念得很不快樂, 翹課翹到班導都搖頭, 好笑的是, 時常翹課的我,竟是背著畫板去野外寫生, 現在想想當時的逞強,不也有些諷刺…..即使後來在大學, 最後不也因能力,興趣轉去社會系…繞了一圈, 我的獨斷並沒為自己帶來幸福…..

 

大學後, 大概因為自己之前一些錯誤決定, 在很多事上,我開始會參考媽”的建議, 雖然不是100%, 漸”開始習慣媽寶的生活, 唯一一件比較大的違反母親意志的事, 就是研究所後自己執意想出國, 媽”聽了,當然是反對, 在她想法, 希望我能留在國內找個安穩工作, 最好是civil serviceman,。我也忘了出國前被她要求一定要參加的哪次高考, 我就是刻意缺考了最後兩堂, 製造沒上的結果! 我想母親應該是很生氣, 不過她並沒有說出來, 現在想想, 自己覺得很抱歉…. 因為出國這幾年, 我的想法開始有了很大的改變, 其實並沒有哪一種人生才會是最幸福。 當我們看到別人在國外歷練或學成歸國後, 取得較好發展時,往往忘了他們在異鄉拼搏時流的血淚…..這點我是最有共鳴的, 畢竟在我最灰心沮喪, 當系上曾經不認可我潛力時, 還一直陪著我身邊的, 沒有別人, 就是那個笨”的老媽…………

 

我不知道今後自己在研究教學工作上究竟能發揮多少能耐, 不過如果掌握了那個機會,我肯定是不會輕易認輸的,拼到底。真有那成功的一天, 要感謝的人一定很多, 但要感謝的女人最重要就是老媽, 我想這個世界上除了未來的家的女主人外, 老媽絕對是我永遠感激在心的女人…

 

在2009當下, 我思考著媽”到目前為止, 給了我兩樣最重要的東西:

 

(1) 善良: 我想從媽”平常待人處事, 我學到了赤子之心, 對於我們所愛的人,不該存有任何算計, 一定是以誠相待! 出國後, 因為這樣, 我遭到許多人嘲笑, 利用…

不管如何,他們都算給了我很多指教, 不過我還是相信如果我善良待人, 而對方也是善良待你時,那他肯定是你這一輩子最能信任的朋友或家人……….

 

(2) 家庭觀念: 老媽給我的另一個寶貝-家庭觀念, 即使環境再艱困, 我總是看到她把最好的留給我們, 沒有她的呵護, 是不可能有現在還在追夢的我啊! 每當跟外國同學聊自己的家庭生活時, 他們總說我很幸運生活在這樣家庭! 我想對於下一代, 自己應該也是會付出媽”曾對我付出的愛, 因為媽”的呵護, 讓我知道那個愛與無盡付出的地方沒有別,就是家………

 

現在的我,終於了解了一直以來媽媽對我的苦心了,也許過去的她無法幫我做多正確的決定, 但她的叮嚀一直是出於對我的關心…..回國後,自己終究是會獨立起來, 也許很多地方無法再事事媽寶, 因為有的事, 媽”慢慢也出不了什麼主意了,但媽”的心意,我一定會永遠放在心上….我也該慢”發揮長子的角色, 一直以來我最喜歡的日本戰國人物就屬足智多謀的毛利元就, 他的家族一開始也是小小的…….希望不久將來,我可以用智慧讓我們家族每個人更幸福, 讓更多我們身邊的人都會喜歡老媽你! 卡片在上星期已經寄了, 但真正想對妳說的話都在這裡, 跟最後一句 老媽, 你辛苦了,我永遠愛妳!

 

-------------------------------------------------

全天下父母對子女的愛都是無私的, 在金融風暴下, 父母還是子女最好的靠山!

April 1, 2009

The bank of mum and dad

It is the only place that many first-time buyers can get financial help. Ginetta Vedrickas reports

With banks loath to lend to anyone, especially first-time buyers, who can you turn to when you want to get on to the property ladder? For many, the only route is what's come to be termed "the bank of mum and dad", as parents step in with cash help for their kids.

Today's lenders typically demand deposits of 20 to 40 per cent, taking homes out of reach for most first-time buyers. Prices may have dropped, yet many first-timers still find it impossible to raise enough to buy. In the capital, few properties are on offer for less than £150,000 and a typical central London apartment costs around £250,000, which requires a whopping £50,000 deposit.

Sarah Garrett of First Time Buyer magazine says that lenders are "strangling the market" but today's parents are opting to invest via their children rather than leave money in banks. Agents agree that parents now provide deposits for the bulk of first time buys. Winkworth's Jeff Cohen says that last year it was common to see parents on a third viewing of a property but today they are involved from the start: "Parents are now coming to first and second viewings and even accompanying their children when they register. It would seem the bank of mum and dad is once again open for business!"

It may be parental generosity but, with base rates at 0.5 per cent, many parents view helping their offspring as a shrewd investment. Simon Corringham of Faron Sutaria says that, if current base rates continue, the market will be overrun with cash buyers who no longer trust banks to safeguard their cash: "They're fed up with their money earning paltry interest in the face of inflation at three-something per cent and feel their money would be better spent on a buy-to-let investment or a home for their children. There's a trend for parents buying a flat with several bedrooms, allocating one to their son or daughter and renting the rest to their child's friends."

Parents also hope to spare their offspring the unsavoury experience of grotty rented accommodation. Lauren Hooper, 19, studies history at Southampton and lives in a new one- bedroom apartment thanks to her mum Lorena's generosity. Lauren found her home by googling "new-build in Southampton". "When we visited the show apartment, Lauren quickly fell in love with it and, I have to say, nothing else we looked at then measured up," says Lorena who admits to being initially nervous as this was her first investment buy.

When Lauren leaves college, Lorena intends to let the property which was initially for sale at £114,950 but which cost £86,212 under developer Crest Nicholson's EasyBuy scheme, which gives buyers a loan for 25 per cent of equity with no interest to pay for five years. Lauren is grateful for the luxury of a location which allows her to walk to college: "It's ideal. It's a quiet place to study but it is close enough to the city centre to ensure I can go into town."

Lorena's decision to invest in student accommodation may prove sound. In 2008, university applications rose by 8 per cent and, if the recession and a weak sterling continue, figures look set to rise this year. Investment firm Assetz says that investors can expect rental yields of 5 to 6 per cent net. "Investment in university accommodation is already paying massive dividends. It is an area in which I have invested personally over the years and it is the best performing part of my portfolio. Student property funds have topped the leader board of property fund performance over the past couple of years, and the latest surge in applications will continue to drive demand," adds chief executive Stuart Law.

But parents aren't just helping out at the student end of the market. London agency Aylesford International are also seeing growing numbers of parent buys, with no limit on budget says MD Louise Hewlett: "We are currently looking for property for children in the price range of £500,000 up to £2.3m. It is the perfect time for parents to buy taking into account the drop in property values. Their cash will get zero interest in the banks so it's a better financial decision to buy a property which can be rented out until children need a home. They then get higher interest on their capital and it's safer than the stock market."

It may be safer than depositing your readies in an Icelandic, or any other, bank but there are concerns that parents are funding their children's futures by risking their own. A survey by Scottish Widows found that over half of the 20.7 million Britons with children over 16 have given or loaned their offspring an average of £11,776, with nearly half planning to give another £12,564.

The amount given to children by their parents increased from £67bn this time last year to £72.5bn with most using savings but some parents increasing their own debts. Scottish Widows' head of savings and investments Gordon Greig says that the trend could leave some parents vulnerable in their retirement and that young homebuyers may also suffer: "It's questionable whether the current young generation of adults will ever learn the necessary savings habit if their parents continue to bail them out in this way.

As parents tighten their purse strings more than expected in the near future, the bank of mum and dad may not be as giving as it once was; it is more important than ever for people to save consistently."

 

 

 

Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top

今天早上翻Independent時,發現蠻有趣給全英高中畢業生的入學指南

看完的感覺, 英國人念大學觀念跟台灣還是有些許差異, 人家是為了找工作,而我們還想再念研究所…..

How to land your dream job

Which are the best courses for future earnings? By Beth Mellor

In the heady days of undergraduate study it was easy to forget the minor matter of getting a job at the end of it all. But now that the issue of graduate unemployment is firmly on the agenda, prospective university students will be more anxious than ever to ensure that their choice of degree pays off when they graduate.

(1) 五大直指高薪的熱門科系: , 醫學, 牙醫,化工, 獸醫 跟經濟, 這些科系畢業生一出社會工作年薪至少 £24,000 (約台幣120萬). 其中前四種是與特定職業直接相關聯, 而經濟系畢業生可從事工作range比較廣。

不同系畢業生(2009大學生跟大學生以下學歷的起薪)

 

 

 

(2) 另一個發現, 跟往年相比, 社工擠進10大熱門行業 (見10大最好最差Table), newspaper給的理由如下:

Surprising too is the high rank of social work in the tables. It scrapes into the top 10 subjects for graduate salaries, above business studies and computer science. In addition, just under 70 per cent of social work graduates were employed in graduate jobs – a higher percentage than for many other courses.

Ian Johnston, former chief executive of the British Association of Social Workers, says that social work is a good course choice for students. "Nationally, there are higher vacancy rates in social work than in many other sectors," he says. "Social work can be misrepresented in the media and it's not for the faint-hearted, but it is extremely rewarding."  (蠻弔詭的是,職缺很多, 報酬很高, 應該是很多人會搶著做, 這樣為什麼還職缺很多??大概有不足為外人道也的工作內容)

英國10大爛工作, 最差心理學, 倒數第二社會政策, 是要我們系上學弟妹念心酸的嗎?

英國2009十大最好,跟最差的工作Table

(3) 英國高中生選校系邏輯-大概還是向錢看, 這大概是先進工業國家共同現象.....

Prospective university students would do well to heed Mark Knox's advice on how to land their dream job at the end of their course. He says: "Think very carefully about the skill set you get from a course, because that's what's important when it comes to applying for jobs. But it is also important to make sure you enjoy the course so you get a good grade at the end of it."

(4)另外一個蠻有趣的Table, 全英Top 25大學,大致都是具有小而美的特色

(ps: appearances in subject tables: 是指該校有多少科系擠進全國前25名; Top places: 是指該校有多少全英第一的科系)

 

 

Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top

 

自從上星期六的深夜從Brighton回來後,整個人不知為何就有點昏”沈”, 大概是因為英國南部烈日驕陽中暑了吧?已經星期一了, 還一直有昏睡的感覺。 下午聽著系上冗長的seminar, 在沒有PowerPoint,只是昏暗投影片下, 自己很少這樣在聽演講15分鐘後就打起瞌睡。 之後學長Young-Jun的課, 也是拖著疲憊身軀硬撐。 所幸榮峻很理解學生心理,即然是本學期的最後一堂課, 也就提早半個小時下課。之後他便提議所有人去school pub聚”…原本已經想回家睡覺的我, 竟跟著大家吃喝去了, 其間剛從LSE回來的Ian因為榮峻去電,就直奔現場, 一見到我,就念了快加速把論文後面做完, 我能說甚, 當然指導教授你說的算數……

 

其實英國這種在最後一堂課後,會去酒吧喝酒的習慣真的很特殊! 在台灣並不容易見到, 大家很難想像期未考還沒考, 就敢飲酒作樂吧! 不過在這, 他們把它當作是讓師生宣洩一學期下來長期累積的緊張情緒….在soft drinks, chips後, 很快就來了兩瓶香檳, 在老師半推半就下, 你不喝也不行。 不過Ian 是老人, 很早就醉了回家。 我知道自己底限, 在嘗了兩杯有點暈後,就不了……不過, 這些英國女生的酒量真的不是蓋的, 酒喝之後, 她們的煙也就點上, 這該不會就是來英國前, 有人跟我提及英國的學術是酒跟煙薰出來……以下開始進入本文重點, 自己會在有點醉回家後, 寫這東西, 其實是與今晚跟一群英國女談話有很大關係….

 

當酒喝了,煙霧繚繞後, 在場的人話匣子好像全都打開了! 現在想想這一年多來, 每天抱著bbc狂聽, 真的幫助很大, 之前實在很難打入英國人聊話圈, 今晚真的是談笑風生。也因為這樣, 我趕快把握機會, 問了一些她們我感興趣話題, 像我有注意到她們英國女生戴ring的位置很多 (左手 (中, 無名指), 右手), 結果這些英國女還好心告訴了我她們很迷的東歐式戴法………後來不知哪個女的醉了, 竟然直接叫在場所有人(只有我跟榮峻是男的, 其他都是女的) 有男女朋友舉手! 榮峻當然是結婚也兩個小孩了舉手, 結果所有狐疑的眼光就落在舉不起手的自己身上….接下來英國女就開始對宅進行嚴刑逼供及再教育, 而宅給的答案, 在她們看來,全是錯錯錯……….

 

Q1: 為什麼不在英國找一個女生? 宅回: 如果要找, 也是想找一個能維持長久關係的, 並解釋之前看了這裡很多easy come, easy go的cases, 怕了….

她們問你該不會是想找wife….一時間, 宅的答案就被逼出來了….結果英國女們笑成一團, 說她們都是先與對方建立男女朋友關係, 根本沒人會把現在的關係界定成一定得結婚….宅反問自己年紀跟榮峻一樣大, 人家都老婆, 兩個小孩, 還系上permanent lecturer呢, 我6月博三才結束….所以怎麼可能學你們這些20幾的英國女對感情如此灑脫! 結果她們很嚴肅地說: 如果我是英國人, 還抱持這種想法, 就準備在這裡一輩子single吧!

 

Q2: 英國女們之後火力再次集中問, 為什麼一定得抱找婆的心理? 我回了, 榮峻, 就是因為有賢內助, 學術研究一把罩, 我說如果我也有相同條件, 自己應該可以表現更好……..結果英國女全笑歪了。她們問 你研究好不好, 關我們女生什麼事啊?? 她們對這個中國傳統旺夫說, 當然是大加批評…..而宅的立論實在十分薄弱, 結果也就一路挨打….從她們當中談話, 我很快也意識到她們的男女關係是強調平等的, 沒什麼誰得幫誰的, 當知道到這點, 我也對她們提出了反問

 

Q3 我說如果是遇到什麼都不會的女生, 按照你們的說法, 跟她的男的豈不是得一路犧牲到底? 結果眾英國女說: 這不就給你一個很好證明你真的愛她機會! 其中一個長得很漂亮的Rosa就說了, 她就是什麼廚房的事都不會做的女生,她男友每個晚餐都把她準備好好的…一向講究公平的我續問, 如果1,3, 5 晚餐男方負責; 2.4.6 女主人負責, 這好像比較符合你們的平等精神吧? 結果Rosa笑著說, 如果她有廚藝, 也不會照這種死板板的規定, 當天誰不累誰煮….看來已經不是什麼大男人的宅又中了英國女的一槍!

 

Q4 在宅的那些說法, 被她們徹底質疑後, 我問了她們以為的男女關係及可能婚姻中, 最重要的東西是什麼? 結果其中很有主見的Teresa 說了一個很簡單答案, 就快樂! 沒快樂沒什麼好談….這不是不久前宅的朋友說得一樣, 當時還以為這答案實在有點無俚頭, 因為那是出自一個我覺得思考有點紊亂的人口中…..想不到她已經及得上British girls思考深度, 開玩笑的……

 

 

在被英國女圍攻後的回家路上, 我不禁想到英國真的是個女權至上的社會, 台灣不也漸”有相同情形, 如果阿宅們還是抱著那些傳統想法不放 (像以夫為貴, 嫁什麼隨什麼….), 大概悲慘的路還很長。其實同樣問題, 前幾天ptt也有人給了其他阿宅一個建議, 就是到其他地方找吧, 結果那個版整個晚上討論欲罷不能, 不過我並不覺得這是個建設性方法, 畢竟在怎麼相對落後地方女生, 她們的想法也是會隨時間改變……與其如此, 對於一些根深柢固的想法, 宅男們不也該有些改變, 說實話, 自己也沒把握如果改, 能改變多少? 就在微醺跟眾英國女道別時, 我跟她們說了你們談的快樂太抽象了, 結果她們一致回了那就妥協啊! 不偏男方跟女方…..看似有說跟沒說的答案, 大概很多人得花很長時間才能想透吧………..

 

----------------------------------------------

UK couples waiting longer for marriage

 Reuters

British men, on average, were 31.8 years of age when they tied the knot for the first time, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures for 2006 showed, compared with 29.3 years 10 years earlier.

 

British men are tending to delay marriage until they are in their 30s and more of them are living at home longer, according to official figures released on Wednesday.

 

Men, on average, were 31.8 years of age when they tied the knot for the first time, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures for 2006 showed, compared with 29.3 years 10 years earlier.

 

Women were also putting off the big day, on average until the age of 29.7 compared with 27.2.

The figures appear in the ONS report "Social Trends."

The report also shows a record low number of couples married in England and Wales in 2006 -- 237,000, the lowest annual number since 1895.

 

Couples were also delaying the age at which they had their first child, with women on average being 27.5 years of age in 2007 compared with 23.7 in 1971.

 

A quarter of households in 2008 were childless couples, while in 1971 it was nearly a fifth (19 percent).

 

For those couples with children, nearly a third used grandparents as informal childcare providers, where the mother was working.

 

Signs of the economic downturn hitting home ownership could be seen in the 1 percent fall in numbers between 2006 and 2007, reversing a 49 percent rise in UK home ownership in the 25 years before then.

 

Britons were more likely to live alone, or with their parents, the report's figures showed.

 

Between 1971 and 2008, the proportion of people living alone doubled from six to 12 percent, with the largest increase being among those below state pension age.

 

The increase in the number of students staying on in higher education, coupled with the rise in the jobless figure, was blamed for more men and women living with their parents until their mid-30s.

 

Men found it more difficult to break away from their mothers' apron strings.

 

Nearly 30 percent of men aged between 20 and 34 and 18 percent of women of the same age lived at home, figures for the second quarter of 2008 showed.

 

This compared with 27 percent of men and 15 percent of women of the same age group in 2001.

 

Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top

作者  exponential3 (噗)                                      看板  Gossiping

 標題  [新聞] 醫龍「開心」 擄獲醫師心

 時間  Wed Apr 15 16:49:12 2009

───────────────────────────────────────

 

日劇「醫龍」描述一群醫療人員，為心臟衰竭病患進行一種稱為「Batista」的左心室容積縮小術，寫實又精采的劇情，創下高收視率後，也風行至台灣的心臟外科界，連醫師也愛看。心臟外科大老級的醫師也幾乎全都看過醫龍，但有的讚歎有的罵。最近醫師們還接著轉攻韓劇「嶄新的心」。

 

Batista手術是針對心臟擴大的心臟衰竭病患，因為無法進行心臟移植，劇中的天才外科醫師朝田龍太郎將病患部分心肌切除，再把心臟縫合起來，原本太大的心臟就會縮小。劇中指稱，手術後，可以讓病患心臟正常運作。

 

國內心臟移植權威、振興醫院心臟醫學部主任魏崢不僅看了醫龍的日劇版，也看了漫畫版。他說，日劇中的手術畫面，拍得很逼真，而漫畫中的手術示意圖，與真實的情況滿相似的，確實有點教育意義。

 

他說，Batista手術不是很難的手術，他也幫兩個病患施行過，但是他認為效果並不好，他說，「Batista是一種早就被放棄的手術方式」。因為日本當時不能進行心臟移植手術，才會覺得Batisca很神奇。但是魏崢認為，劇中強調團隊工作和醫院鬥爭情節，倒是頗為寫實。

 

由於日劇把Batista手術過度神化，甚至有醫學生、住院醫生前來詢問魏崢，「真有那麼神嗎？」均得到否定的答案。不過，倒不曾有病患想要施行該手術。

 

一名院長級的心臟外科權威醫師也看了醫龍，而且耐心的把整套都看完，只有一句評語，「沒那麼神啦！」另外一名也是院長級的心臟外科權威醫師，他也看過醫龍，甚至聽聞有些醫師頗為著迷該手術，但是他認為，讓病患冒如此大的風險，手術效果卻不如預期，不是一種好的治療方式。

 

另一名心臟移植權威、亞東醫院院長朱樹勳雖然沒有看過醫龍，卻聽過其他醫師談論。朱樹勳笑說，那種手術沒什麼，他笑說，他創下的三心人手術紀錄困難多了，畫成漫畫會比醫龍更好看。

 

振興醫院心臟外科醫師蘇上豪說，醫龍中手術畫面滿逼真的，動作也很貼近真實。另外，韓劇的「嶄新的心」也是以心臟外科為主題，描述醫院間的鉤心鬥角，非常貼近人性，精采不輸「白色巨塔」。

 

不僅醫師愛看日本醫界漫畫、日劇，甚至連中央健保局副總經理李丞華也是日本漫畫迷，他最喜歡的是「醫界風雲」。主角實習醫生齊藤英二郎，是個菜鳥醫師，受訓時，看到急診人球等陋習，揭發日本醫療結構問題，當時國內剛好發生邱小妹人球事件，讓他非常有感觸。

 

http://udn.com/NEWS/HEALTH/HEA1/4849323.shtml

 

另一則類似的新聞

 作者  tjbulls (夜晚的星星已不再亮)                           看板  Gossiping
 標題  [新聞] 日劇《醫龍》描繪日本醫界黑暗　台灣醫生也風靡！
 時間  Sat Apr 18 22:15:11 2009
───────────────────────────────────────

更新日期:2009/04/18 16:39 生活中心／綜合報導


    在白色巨塔工作的醫生，往往給人無限神秘的感覺，因此許多跟醫院有關的漫畫跟小
說，紛紛改編成連續劇或卡通，像是日劇《醫龍》，就描寫心臟外科醫生的工作，劇中寫
實的劇情描述，連台灣的醫生都為之著迷；而漫畫《怪醫黑傑克》儘管劇情誇張，依舊擄
獲不少觀眾的心。


    身為心臟外科醫生的男主角走近病床，以精湛的醫術讓病患起死回生，這部由漫畫改
編而成的日劇《醫龍》裡上演精采寫實的劇情，不僅創下高收視率，連台灣醫生都愛看。


    儘管《醫龍》劇中稱為「Batista」的心臟手術已經過時，但是將日本醫界鬥爭、黑暗
的一面血淋淋呈現，依舊引起廣大迴響，除了《醫龍》以及先前風靡一時的《白色巨塔》
外，日本醫學漫畫的先驅《怪醫黑傑克》儘管問市30年，依舊有大批粉絲不斷加入，劇中
全身上下有多道疤痕的男主角，雖然是個無照密醫，但是神乎其技般的醫術以及跟病患之
間的互動，都令人深深著迷。


    描寫醫界生態的戲劇，還有話題影集《整形春秋》以及《DrHouse》，或許跟真實生活
相比，內容不免誇大，卻也讓觀眾想要一窺白色巨塔的好奇心，充分獲得滿足。(新聞來源
：東森新聞記者黃斐瑜、林天佑)


http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090418/17/1i2ku.html

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

早上看到上面一則ptt討論, 才發現宅宅們跟日劇迷口耳相傳的”醫龍”, 想不到在國內也有一堆心臟科權威醫師的支持者。這真的有點令我驚訝, 但也與有榮焉……中午在跟老師meeting完,就想著回家後寫一下我的觀後感, 希望那兩個好友你們有時間也趕快去看,不要只燒給我拿到國外,叫你們老婆也來看,知道了吧!

 

看日劇一直是我大學以來就有的的嗜好,尤其到了國外, 更變成每週一定的休閒活動。但也不是所有日劇都值得一看, 很多時候是拿來殺時間,鬆弛緊張情緒, 但當看到好的劇碼時, 常會一看再看,也回味無窮! 因為這些經典真的會給你一些想法上的啟發。相較於亞洲的其他國家,其實日劇所涉及主題已十分廣泛, 而且探討的東西都有一定深度…印象中, 醫龍1是前年看的, 去年看了2, 在看了電視劇後, 迫不及待就去找漫畫來看。基本上, 醫龍1的每集劇情是完全照著漫畫的章回在走, 但還是有些許改編:

1.      主人翁朝田: 電視劇中土反口憲二似乎將朝田龍太郎詮釋成有些呆板,孤癖; 但實際漫畫中, 朝田的的個性是有些自我, 而狂中又帶了點風趣, 究竟熟憂熟劣,就有勞看官們自己去評判。除此外,不得不承認, 電視劇的確更生動地呈現他超凡的醫術…

2.      急診部鬼頭教授,在漫畫實際是男的, 不過夏木雖然是女的,還是把鬼頭教授,詮釋成帶有一點豪氣的女中豪傑,也算別有一番風味

其他部份,大致都忠於原著。

 

有關醫龍1, 它談的是在腐敗的大學教學醫院系統裡,一群懷抱不同想法的醫事人員, 如何化被動為主動, 扭轉劣勢, 重新肯定他們對醫療服務的意義 。這中間包含了相當豐富的戲劇元素: 人事鬥爭, 醫療使命感, 和一幕”令人嘆為觀止的心臟開刀術….不管任何人,是從什麼角度去欣賞它, 我想都可以找到你要的東西, 不得不承認,是一部能帶給你高度娛樂跟啟發的戲劇饗宴。至於醫龍二, 內容其實也不差, 只是我覺得劇情安排較為鬆散, 沒有1來得那麼讓人有震撼性…..不過1,2都可以讓我們看到在高度艱難的環境下,醫事人員相當高貴的服務情操….畢竟技術加上使命感才是我們社會真正需要的仁醫, 這是我看最近一些尋捷徑波蘭醫師事件後(許多人譏諷他們是波波)一個很深的感觸 。

 

 

 

 

 

PS: 昨天煮晚餐時,看到泰國室友拿著英語版醫龍 DVD盒子, 八成是山寨版的吧.......不過在場日本室友也不以為意,也因為這樣,我們還聊了很多觀後感,1跟2我都看過了, 言談間,可以感受到日本朋友覺得很光榮,畢竟這部經典日劇為他們做了很好的文化宣傳!

 

Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top
  • Feb 21 Sat 2009 04:06

  • 河蟹

查抄色情漫畫 銬回女工讀生

 更新日期:2009/02/20 02:55 林金池、蔡偉祺／北縣報導

淡水有三家漫畫出租店因陳列日本暢銷漫畫《航海王》（又名海賊王），上周三被警方認
定違法，不僅未持搜索票入內搜索，還將女工讀生以現行犯「銬回」法辦，身心受創的女
學生至今忘不了冷冰冰的看守所，嚇得每天以淚洗面、不敢出門。


十一日晚，淡水警分局水碓派出所兩名警員與一名便衣刑警，到轄區水源路三家漫畫出租
店查察，認定店內擺設的《航海王》漫畫屬於暴力與色情書籍，違反刑法第兩百卅五條妨
害風化，將店內女工讀生以現行犯「銬回」派出所，接著通知店老闆到警局製作筆錄。


網友聲討 批違反比例原則
店內女工讀生就這樣被銬上警車帶走，無論業者如何央求：「放了工讀生，有問題找負責
人」，警方依舊不為所動，這些女學生回想事發經過忍不住發抖流淚，忘不了冷冰冰的看
守所，更害怕人生就此留下前科汙點。


警方的大動作引起熱烈討論，不少網友群情激憤、幹譙聲不斷。「有這麼嚴重嗎？《航海
王》電視都有在播耶？」「警察沒事幹嗎？還是店家沒付保護費才會找麻煩？」「將女工
讀生『銬起來』真的太超過了啦？違反比例原則！」「現在是警總時代嗎？警方濫權到無
法無天？」


記者實地走訪，發現水源路三家漫畫出租店被查抄後，已有一家遭警方強迫歇業，另外兩
家雖然生意興隆，但記者表明來意後，店內工讀生不願多談，僅強調非當事人，不方便表
示意見。


警方：開放空間不需搜索票


淡水警分局長艾鵬澄清，警方僅針對店內擺設的色情漫畫查抄，部分查扣漫畫內容充滿「
人獸交」等情節，並非因為《航海王》遭移送。
至於移送女工讀生部分，網路上指稱有三、四名女工讀生被警方帶走，艾鵬強調，警方值
勤時店內僅有一名女工讀生，同仁無奈只好將她帶回製作筆錄，但並未上手銬，直到隔天
移送法院時，才依程序將女工讀生上銬。

淡水警分局行政組長鄭有益強調，漫畫出租店為開放空間，入內查緝色情書刊不需搜索票，這與日前泰山光碟店不同，同仁依法執勤並無不當。?????????

預防「飢寒起盜心」 政府廣設監視器
【聯合報╱記者林河名／台北報導】
2009.02.19 02:59 am
 

「四年五千億元」特別預算案第一年計畫送至立法院，內政部為因應景氣欠佳、失業率攀升，預防有人「飢寒起盜心」，特別編列新台幣十億元進行錄影監視系統整合計畫。

這項名為「加強推動社區安全e化聯防機制」四年計畫，從去年開始實施，內政部為擴大辦理，今年編列特別預算十億元、明年再編列五億元，加上去年度起連續四 年公務預算共五億五百萬元，合計將花費廿億五百萬元，預計在民國一百年完成錄影監視系統整合計畫，目標「提供全國民眾無恐懼感的生活空間」。

計畫預定在全國各治安要點、重要路口等易發生犯罪場所，建置錄影監視系統；目前已完成建置二一六五組、一○一○五個鏡頭，預計到民國一百年完成時，共可完成建置六五九九組、四○八三六個鏡頭。亦即三年後，至少將多出四萬多個監視器分布全國各縣市。

不過，這項廣設監視器的計畫引起在野黨及人權團體的高度疑慮。由於內政部在計畫中強調「錄影監視系統的建置與應用，即是加強監控者的能力，監控力量超越時間與空間之限制，監控無所不在」，民進黨立委黃淑英昨天就質疑：「監控無所不在？台灣豈不是變成警察國家？」

黃淑英說，廣設監視器固然可能增加安全感，但若使用不當，人民的隱私權就不保，更何況，小偷不是常態，到處都裝監視器就像把人民當小偷看待，很不正常，政府無力拚經濟，讓人民難以溫飽，竟只能用這種方式防範有人「飢寒起盜心」，未免太可悲了！

內政部在這項特別預算案開宗明義提到，行政院長劉兆玄去年十二月卅日行政院治安會報指示：「兩岸大三通後，人貨出入會更加頻繁，加上接下來的幾個月，景氣 會相當嚴峻，所帶來的失業等情況，可能是前所未有的冬天，俗話說『飢寒起盜心』，如何未雨綢繆，先做防範工作，相關單位在平常作為之上，必須再有一個特殊 專案，以因應客觀環境改變的治安情勢。」內政部因而把錄影監視系統整合計畫列入「擴大公共建設」計畫。(社會救助條件緊縮下,大筆錢用來增設監視器,敢問這是振興經濟那門邏輯???)





February 20, 2009

Revealed: the full extent of Labour's curbs on civil liberties

By Michael Savage, Political Correspodent

Audit report highlights 'permanent erosion' of freedoms since 1997

The full extent of state powers to detain people without charge, cover up Government errors, hold the DNA of the innocent and share personal data between public bodies has been revealed in a devastating analysis of the erosion of civil liberties in Britain over the past decade.

Almost 60 new powers contained in more than 25 Acts of Parliament have whittled away at freedoms and broken pledges set out in the Human Rights Act and Magna Carta, according to a new audit of laws introduced since Labour came to power in 1997. The dossier, compiled by the Convention on Modern Liberty, criticises police powers to detain terror suspects for 28 days without charge, new stop-and-search powers handed to police (allowing them to stop people without reason at airports and other designated areas), and restrictions on the right of peaceful protest.

It is the first time such a picture of the erosion of rights under Labour has been published. The rise in surveillance in Britain is also documented, including new laws allowing individuals to be electronically tagged, and the legal interception of letters, emails and phone calls.

Control orders, designed to confine terrorist suspects who have not been found guilty, are also cited. The orders, created under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in 2005, can include the power of house arrest and electronic tagging.

"The right to privacy has been eroded, perhaps permanently, by broad powers to intercept, collect, store and share our private information," the dossier states.

The Coroners and Justice Bill, currently going through Parliament, is accused of seeking to hand the state the power to prevent embarrassing revelations of Government failure becoming public. Coroners are currently able to criticise the Government and any of its agencies that cause a death. But the Bill would hand the state new powers to suspend inquests, or force them into secret. It would also allow Government agencies to share personal data.

David Davis, the Conservative MP who resigned as shadow home secretary and called a by-election to campaign against what he described as the Government's growing attack on British liberties, said the measures cited in the report give hundreds of bodies the power to "snoop, spy and bug" on the public.

"It is a real, serious, systemic problem," Mr Davis said. "I cannot believe it is happening. It's up to us to make sure it is stopped."

Mr Davis said that he did not regret leaving his post as shadow Home Secretary to fight the cause "for a second". "We had to put a check on this process, dribbling away, salami slice by slice," he said. "And if I'd found a cheaper way of doing it, I would have done it more cheaply."

Henry Porter, one of the organisers of the Convention on Modern Liberty, said that there was "little doubt that there is a crisis of liberty in Britain".

"We needed an account to show the legislative programme that swept away many centuries-old rights and transferred so much power from the individual to the state actually existed," he said. "We now have that evidence [and can] oppose what is happening to one of the world's oldest democracies."

A spokesman for the Home Office said that CCTV surveillance and the use of a DNA database were "essential crime-fighting tools".

"The Government has been clear that where surveillance or data collection will impact on privacy they should only be used where it is necessary and proportionate," he said. "The key is to strike the right balance between privacy, protection and sharing of personal data."

Britain under Labour: The Convention on Modern Liberty's take

"Laws stopping people taking pictures of the police have little to do with tackling crime"

Moazzem Begg, Former Guantanamo Bay detainee

"We are now the most spied-upon country in the developed world"

Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats

"We have lived under one of the most authoritarian ages in living memory"

Shami Chakrabarti, Head of Liberty

"This attack on our freedoms under this government threatens us all"

Dominic Grieve, Shadow Justice Secretary

February 20, 2009

Brian Eno: The well of freedom is running dry

Nobody bothers about civil liberties until they've gone. As the old country song warns: "You don't miss your water till your well runs dry."

We are letting the well run dry, allowing little bits of our civil freedoms to be chipped away by paranoiac governments who assure us we can trust them – and consistently betray that trust.

We are gradually sacrificing what has taken hundreds of years of civilisation to achieve, which is a condition of some kind of liberty. It may not be evident to everyone yet, but we have lost so much freedom in the past 10 years. When the Government passed its "anti-terror" laws, it reassured those who campaigned against them that they would only ever be used in the most extreme circumstances.

But these are completely vague laws which enable a government to arrest almost anybody for almost everything.

Within a couple of years they had been used to eject an 80-year-old heckler from a Labour Party conference, to arrest a woman for reading out the names of British soldiers killed in Iraq, and to freeze the assets of Icelandic banks in England. This is the problem with vague legislation of this type: it invariably gets called into use whenever anybody does anything that the Government finds embarrassing or the police find inconvenient.

It criminalises the behaviour of concerned citizens and thereby encourages disengagement and apathy. By preventing people from taking part in critiques of governance it increases the gap between rulers and ruled: it is fundamentally anti-democratic.

I worry about initiatives like identity cards and computer databases because they could be a step towards a police state, with completely innocent people being held in custody because of software malfunctions.

It is incredibly sad that these moves towards a police state should have happened under a Labour government. Gordon Brown should think about the serious problems that need to be solved – such as climate change – and direct his government's efforts towards that.







Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top
Taiwan's economy

Mirror, mirror on the wall
Feb 12th 2009 | TAIPEI
From The Economist print edition


The ugliest economy of them all?

WHICH economy has been hit hardest by the global slump? In its back pages and on its website The Economist tracks 55 countries each week. Based on industrial production, Taiwan has suffered much the biggest shock. Output fell by 32% in the 12 months to December; in the fourth quarter it plunged at an annual rate of 62%. GDP figures, due on February 18th, will be grim.

Taiwan is one of the world’s most export-dependent economies, making many high-tech gadgets for Western consumers, so it has been battered by the slump in global demand. Exports plunged by a record 44% in the year to January. The slide in exports has been exacerbated by a drying up of trade credit. This partly explains why imports also fell by 57% over the period. Exports may therefore partly recover as credit improves. But Taiwan’s competitiveness has been eroded by its relatively strong currency. The New Taiwan dollar has appreciated by more than 40% against the South Korean won since the start of 2008.

Exports to China have declined by 59% over the past year, twice as fast as exports to America. Sales to China (over one-quarter of the total) consist largely of electronic components, and have been hit by massive Chinese destocking. The island’s electronics industry is enduring its worst-ever slump. Cheng Cheng-mount, a Taipei-based economist with Citibank, points out that Taiwan’s mainstay exports, such as flat-screen monitors and semiconductors, were in oversupply even before the global financial crisis. Now, he estimates, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, is running at around 35% of capacity.

Falling exports have, in turn, squeezed domestic spending. Unemployment rose to a six-year high of 5% in December, and the true picture may be far bleaker. Taiwanese companies tend to wait until after the lunar new year holiday before swinging the axe. Average wages have also fallen by 5% in real terms over the past year. Many companies are ordering employees to take unpaid leave. The volume of retail sales slumped by 11% in the year to December.

Even before the financial crisis, household spending had seen the weakest growth rate among the East Asian tigers. One reason is that people with the spending power are elsewhere. Over the past eight years, around 1m Taiwanese business executives, who form much of the island’s moneyed managerial class, have moved to China to run factories there. Several economists are now forecasting that Taiwan’s GDP will contract by 3% or more this year, which would be the steepest downturn in Taiwan’s history. By far the gloomiest is CLSA, a broking firm, which is predicting a horrendous 11% drop in 2009.

To prop up the economy, the central bank has cut interest rates six times since September, to 1.5%. The government also plans a fiscal stimulus of infrastructure investment, consumer handouts and tax cuts worth around 3% of GDP in 2009. To boost consumer spending, the government is giving each citizen a voucher worth NT$3,600 ($106). But many economists are sceptical about whether this will produce much new spending. According to Chen Miao, an economist with the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, a similar cash-handout scheme in Japan resulted in only 30% of recipients spending more than they had already planned. Anecdotal evidence so far paints a brighter picture. Department stores and supermarkets reported that sales over the lunar new year holiday were 10-20% higher than in 2008.

In the longer term, improved ties with China will benefit the economy. For example, says Mr Chen, more direct flights between Taiwan and China should help. If Taiwan-based businessmen came home every quarter instead of every six months, it could boost ailing consumption. For now, however, Taiwan’s frightful economic news is more likely to encourage households to save rather than spend.

 

Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top


Date:  Thu, 5 Feb 2009 08:38:03 -0000 [08:38:03 GMT]
From:  Richard Law <R.D.Law@bath.ac.uk>
To:  all-staff@lists.bath.ac.uk, all-students-off-campus@lists.bath.ac.uk, all-students-on-campus@lists.bath.ac.uk
Cc:  press@bath.ac.uk
Subject:  [all-students-on-campus] University closed due to extreme weather conditions

To all Staff and Students

 

Due to the extreme weather conditions it has been decided that the
University will be closed on Thursday 5 February 2009 for lectures.
Students living on campus will find that the Fresh Shop is open and there
will be limited facilities available for purchasing hot food and drinks.

 

Kind regards

 

Richard

 

Richard Law

Security Manager

University of Bath

01225 385011



Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top
Published on Taipei Times
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2008/11/16/2003428792

Taiwan’s Lions down the Wyverns to make final
By Jackson Broder
CONTRIBUTING REPORTER, WITH STAFF WRITER AND AP
Sunday, Nov 16, 2008, Page 20

The Uni-President Lions piled on the runs at the Tokyo Dome yesterday, defeating the SK Wyverns 10-4 to advance the today’s Asia Series final on account of having conceded less runs in the tournament than the vanquished South Koreans.

Liu Fu-hao hit a pair of three-run homers, his first in the fourth inning as the Lions jumped to a 5-0 lead, and then added another in the eighth when the Taiwanese league champions scored four more runs.

The Uni-President Lions will take on the Japan Series champions Seibu Lions in today’s final.

The Asia Series features the top teams from the professional baseball leagues of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China, with all the matches being played in Tokyo.



Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top

中國想搏倒台灣,就像台灣想搏倒全日職明星隊一樣, 基本都是在對戰雙方實力存在相當落差下,下剋上劇碼。只是昨天我們被中國做到了!而我們至今卻還未曾打敗全日職明星隊過, 但是如果我們哪天真的做到了,捫心自問,這就代表我們實力已經追上日職了嗎? 我想答案大家都心知肚明, 如果國內棒球環境不大幅進步,日本就是肯花時間陪我們打10場, 我們永遠也只是在奢望偷那一場勝利….

昨天是輸了,但並不表示我們實力是完全被比下去。輸球原因錯綜複雜, 建設性作法當然是一一檢討這些因素,才能避免日後再翻船出現, 畢竟我們還有這麼多球迷支持這項運動,想救還來得及。

 

不過經過歷次幾場大賽下來,大家有沒有想想,那些列強的班底幾乎都是以他們本國職棒正規軍組成,這其實說明了如果你自己國家的職棒體系是健全穩固的,根本不需擔心日後在國際棒壇沒有一席之地, 所以那些叫中職全然打掉重練的人,我是覺得有些可笑,如果沒了中職,你會覺得學大陸那種單一國家--少林棒球隊打法,國際賽成績會更好,那才見鬼!

 

同理,台灣現在所慣用的用旅外組拚裝車作法, 我想是該好”檢討了!這種作法比較常出在棒球輸出國身上, 但是深入去觀察, 這些國家的國際成績,通常不會多好,像之前經典賽最後殺入4強,都證明日古韓這種以國內為骨幹球隊才是王道。大家都同意, 日本現在已經向世界證明他們日職水準, 但也不要忽視韓國也正為具備這樣身價努力, 所以真的想讓台灣棒球在國際獲得更多尊敬, 發光機會, 最根本作法還是要在國內棒球系統下功夫了,不管是不是要引進外援在訓練上, 或是職業球團在收入穩定後, 更好的洋助人,2軍等建置該做就得做…

 

我一直認為那種還存在靠旅外當救世主想法的人,如果是想欣賞球賽, 那是可以,但想要國家隊有多好成績,也許是癡人說夢!.如果旅外湊本土這種雜牌軍,就想大殺四方,那日韓那些花大錢玩球的球團不都在當傻子? 總之, 台灣這廉價且投機的組隊方式真的是該檢討了!也許我們是輸了昨天一場球, 不過如果我們有那個棒球環境跟文化(入場看球或假日玩球), 昨天的情形終將只是歷史特例! 當國內整體環起真有進步, 我想那時才真的有實力跟日本及諸豪強較量。昨天像生病一樣, 很痛苦也提不起勁, 我一直在想, 我真的很不願再看到10年後,台灣職棒仍積弱不振, 國家隊還是得依美職DFA或1A, 2A未完成品來幫我們打天下, 這種玩法或許是可以讓我們玩出一張參賽門票,但想拿好成績已經是愈來愈不可行, 難道大家還想像現在現在這種半弔子卻想偷世界列強一勝心態, 醒”吧!台灣棒球趕快成長進步吧! 失敗並不可恥, 可恥是不願改進你一再失敗的原因!

Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top
２００７／４／１６　自由時報
 
不畏癆病 每天送藥到和平
 
 

東勢護士 退而不休

〔記者張軒哲／中縣報導〕台中縣東勢鎮退休護士宋蘭，於和平山地部落服務36年退休，退休後4年來，捨不得這群山上的朋友，仍繼續擔任結核病防治志工，每天開車奔波山區各部落，幫患者從事藥事服務，並無懼疾病傳染，每天盯著患者服藥，守護部落居民的健康。

「帥哥起床了！吃完早餐，快點吃藥。」59歲的宋蘭，每天一早7點開車從東勢出發，帶著一大袋早餐與藥包，要奔走7個結核病患家中，病患們分散在和平鄉三叉坑、自由、達觀、松鶴等部落，從東勢往北到最遠的達觀部落或往東到松鶴部落，約需40分鐘車程。有時先到達觀又趕至松鶴，就要一個多小時，山路彎曲難行，仍無阻她助人熱忱。

服務36年 防治肺癆

宋蘭出生於苗栗苑裡閩南庄，19歲即到和平衛生所服務，投身山地部落醫療工作。宋蘭剛到山區的工作，即是負責結核病防治業務，憶起當年與醫療隊遠征梨山、平等部落，總有一籮筐的甘苦。當年X光車後面掛著拖車載儀器，司機座旁的座位坐著X光師，護士們只能站在拖車裡，一路晃到一個半小時車程的梨山。直到55歲退休，她都在和平鄉衛生所為原住民健康把關。

退當志工 天天送藥

退休後，宋蘭仍擔任衛生所結核病防治志工，天天奔走各部落間，將病患到醫院看診的藥拿到衛生所分成藥包，再每天送藥至病患家中，為徹底達到「送藥到手、服藥入口、吞下再走」，宋蘭費盡苦心盯著患者服藥，有時遇到年輕人，就像媽媽哄騙孩子吃藥。

雞婆宋蘭 視病如親

除了負擔每月將近萬元油資，還天天帶早餐給貧困的病患，有時還拿錢接濟，其中一對母子每月至台中看病的車資都是宋蘭支付。

宋蘭說，沒想到退休後又負責結核病防治業務，雖然台灣現在結核病患減少，但原住民病患，家境普遍清苦，多數失業在家。

「宋姐，你很雞婆ㄟ，我都沒錢吃飯了，何必吃藥。」少數個案長期失業，心情鬱悶，難免戒酒消愁，有時嫌她雞婆囉唆，嚷著沒錢，宋蘭說盡好話哄騙。有時面對病患鄰居詢問，又要想辦法保護病患，避免個案曝光。

宋蘭說，對待患者視病如親，為了尊重患者，每天會先電話詢問幾點過去較方便，她第一次訪視時，都沒戴口罩，之後才會戴上，等患者服藥驗痰確定轉為陰性後，就不再戴口罩。

防治熱心 退休更忙

和平鄉衛生所護理長詹美鳳表示，宋蘭對結核病防治業務熟稔，與原住民相處融洽，退休後仍熱心當志工，甚至比退休前還忙。

部落溫暖 入山動力

目前獨居的宋蘭說，自己情路坎坷，年輕時與前夫離婚後，獨力撫養兩名女兒，並供她們赴美留學。唯有努力工作，與病患保持良好互動，才能忘卻人生的挫折。自己在原住民部落有著太多回憶，部落居民單純的個性與溫暖的人情味，是驅使她退休後天天開車入山的動力。

 

宋蘭（右）每天將藥物帶至病患家中，盯著病患服藥，有時遇到年輕人，就像媽媽哄騙孩子吃藥。（記者張軒哲攝）
宋蘭擔任衛生所結核病防治志工，將病患到醫院看診的藥拿到衛生所分成藥包，再每天送藥至病患家中﹔在自由衛生室總可以看到她細心叮嚀看診民眾，如何服藥。（記者張軒哲攝）

 

Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(1) 人氣()

▲top
cheers雜誌3月號 文－ 祝康偉
封面故事：做自己的王者


我從小就開始打球，不曾離開球場去打過工，或做別的事。所以，在球場的每個階段，對我而言都很重要。

7年前，為何我會選擇去美國打球，寧願當台灣球員的先鋒，而不是追隨其他前輩去日本？

原因很單純，就是因當初美國的球團來找我，日本方面並沒有人跟我接觸。

在打美國職棒的階段，我學到最多的是「競爭」的意義。

這段期間，影響我最深的不是來自哪個教練或球員，而是這種競爭的氣氛，讓我不斷提醒自己必須要努力，因為美國的球場十分嚴苛，若你沒有真正本事，自然而然你就會離開那個地方。

30歲返鄉的心路歷程
很多人會好奇我在30歲時，決定離開美國回到台灣，當時有何盤算？會不會承受了很大的壓力？

我想應該沒有什麼壓力，因為回來台灣，我還是在球場上，沒有什麼太大的改變，加上30歲這件事，對我來講，只是時間的一個過程。

我認為，每個階段都有它存在的道理，我不會特別為30歲這個年齡感到壓力，我比較在意的是，自己隨著年齡增長，是否一直都有努力，畢竟，活著最大的意義，就是要學著面對不同階段的自己。

揮球的雙肩扛的是責任
棒球是個既「複雜」又「簡單」的運動。

所謂「複雜」，指的是在過程中，你既要打又要跑，每個環節都要技巧；「簡單」的部份則是，要能打得好，你只要問自己一個問題，就是你到底對棒球有沒有熱愛。

身為一個球員，最重要的是態度，也就是你要盡你的全力，不管你是不是最優秀，都要把你最好的一面表現出來。

反之，當一個球員沒有付出，還做了不該做的事情，傷害整個運動界的形象，就是運動生涯最致命的地方。

每個認真的選手我都很欣賞，像是鈴木一朗（日籍美國職棒大聯盟明星球員）不管成績如何、出名與否，他依然全心付出。

畢竟，打球除了好的態度，還有責任的問題，只要站在場上的一天，儘管成績再好，面對下一個球季，都要認真練習與看重。

我的棒球哲學就是「簡單」兩個字，因為比賽拼的是速度，當球迎面而來時，「專注」十分重要，把球接住，把球打出去，一旦把心思弄得複雜，就沒辦法全力面對。

打球像做人，就是真誠

練球與做人道理十分相似，就是真誠，每一秒都得付出最真實的自己，因為你騙不了自己。

當瓶頸出現時，除了發揮自己體型上的優勢，最好的方法就是努力的練習。一個好的選手，不分假日，要不斷重複的練習，讓自己維持一個比較好的狀態。

若出現突破不了的關卡，這就是你的極限，不必懊惱，你就去面對它。因為隨著年紀愈來愈大，總有一個時間你會離開球場，你要思考的是如何在有限的時間內，把握自己最好的時光。

我很少想得很久，當我還是一個選手時，我就認真的打球，並維持身體最好的狀態。對於未來的事，球能打到什麼時候，能幾年就幾年，到時候再說吧！
 
陳金鋒：打球像做人，都要真誠！
 
 

Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top

 

認識香港老麥，是因為同修學術寫作的關係, 之後因共同朋友姚的關係,而有更多交集….印象中他一直是個工作狂, 每次遇到他,總是說著正趕著5篇會議論文, 再過一陣子, 他會跟你說, 他一個星期內就把那些事全部搞定。小提琴, 法語又有所涉獵, 年輕,我一直認為他就是個很有天賦的人….

 

相對地,我, 把全部時間花在想做的研究上, 只要老師一句再修改, 就沮喪許久, 至少到目前還沒讓老師看到滿意的成果, 離老麥的excellent有太大的一段差距….不過今天在老麥海鮮餐款待後, 有機會聆聽了他的研究心得, 才恍然大悟, 所謂的distinguished終非偶然, 是由平時一點一滴下工夫所累積的 。 小由他資料庫井然有序的整理（大概無人能及）, 或為了版面工整,而多花了兩個月學習新的軟體….乃至最讓我感動的是, 即便一張他論文中小圖片, 為求清晰, 可能就因此就花上一上午時間；而對照自己的馬虎, 當下的我,覺得十分慚愧…一直以來,總認為自己的東西為什麼讓老師那麼難懂? 我想不能再替自己找些奇奇怪怪的藉口了!如果再這樣因襲那些差不多的態度, 目前還留在這僅存的學術熱情終究會消耗殆盡…

 

我很欣賞許多日劇角色的真, 也包括他們對工作很傻的態度,不管是麵包師或外派人員都不會為自己缺點找藉口, 所以即便自己是很難夠上老麥的水平, 日後，也該當個敬業的老師, 或有誠意的小研究員。所以回到家想到的第一件事, 便是想把自己schedule弄得跟老麥一樣條理分明, 而回頭再看看上星期交給老師的table, 也有想再拿出誠意重做一次…..

 

 

其實在離開老麥地方時, 我不經意問了他一下: 以你看來,我現在的程度是高是低？他回了40分, 真的是客觀的評價。 儘管知道要達到他的高標很難, 我還是告訴他, 我一定努力,先達到你及格的標準。

 

老麥,跟你下午一席促膝長談, 我想對你說, 我還是想在這裡成功!不想只是平淡地在英國待過。如果有朝一日,我的研究揚眉吐氣了, 我一定會記得今天下午你秀給我看的一切,帶給我的反省跟改變。我希望你如你所願走上發達之路, 而我也要努力成為你的發達朋友….

Peter Lin 發表在 痞客邦 留言(0) 人氣()

▲top
1 2