祝大家中秋圓滿

月餅把肚子塞的圓圓滿滿的....

a happy Moon Festival to all!

晉懷帝時，王盛少時不好讀書，唯讀孝經、論語，曰，誦此能行，足矣，安用多誦而不行乎？
今人所謂孝者，多異乎夫子所謂孝，誤以「有後」足為孝。古人云，半本論語治天下，欲修、齊、治、平者，不能不讀。
今人讀書，以多得為能事，卻不問其行諸？今只有學術，求學問者稀矣。
"No man is completely useless: he can always serve as a horrible example." There are no bad teachers, only students who won't learn.
Happy birthday to Confucius, and send some good wishes to all the teachers who have ever enriched your life.

何曾侍晉武帝宴，退謂諸子曰，主上開創大業，吾每宴見，未嘗聞經國遠圖，唯說平生常事，非貽厥孫謀之道也。及身而已，後嗣其殆乎！
司馬光評：身為宰相，知其君之過，不以告，而私語于家，非忠臣也。
魔王斯大林死于一九五三年；一九五六年蘇聯共產黨第二十次代表大會上，赫魯曉夫講演批判斯大林的種種暴虐、罪惡。講幾分鐘，有人喊，「當年為甚麼不開口戳他？還等到現扗！」
赫魯曉夫慢慢看全場的代表，心平氣和問，「誰講的？」一片鴉雀無聲。
赫魯曉夫厲聲問，「誰講的？」一片鴉雀無聲。
赫魯曉夫臉紅脖子粗，猛拍講臺，喊，「誰！講！的？」代表連呼吸也不敢呼吸。
過了一回，大家滿臉土灰，赫魯曉夫輕輕笑一聲，說，「你們現扗了解了吧。」

Ho Tseng (199 – 279AD) served Emperor Wu of Chin. After a banquet, he went home and told his family, "Our Emperor has established a great dynasty; I have been present at every banquet, and I have never heard him discuss ruling the country or plans for the distant future. All he talks about is things he's done. This is not the way to teach his heirs to rule. His dynasty will not last long after he dies. His heirs are in great danger."

The dynasty lasted only from 266 until 316, most of it in utter chaos.
Ssuma Kuang (1019 – 1086) said, "Ho Tseng was the prime minister. He saw his ruler's errors but he did not speak up. Instead he went home and talked about it in the privacy of his home. He was disloyal."

The great monster Stalin died in 1953. At the 20th Congress of the Soviet Communist Party, in 1956, the new leader, Nikita Khrushchev, gave a speech denouncing him. A few minutes into the speech, a voice called out, "Why didn't you say anything then?"

Khrushchev looked around the assembled delegates and asked, "Who said that?" Utter silence.

Khrushchev demanded, in a louder voice, "Who said that!?" Utter silence.

Khrushchev slammed his fists onto the podium, shouting, "WHO! SAID! THAT!?" Nobody dared to breathe.

Khrushchev glared at everybody for a moment, and then suddenly smiled, and said, "Now you know why."

其一

從山上開車，偶見蚱蜢、蟋蟀、知了一同乘車下山。或立擋風玻璃上、或于門上，任風吹、隨車晃，如列禦寇履虛乘風。

那天起程，見一蟋蟀在引擎蓋上，又一蟋蟀很自扗于擋風玻璃散步。車疾行、轉彎，二蟋蟀自如。到新店十五公里，停車，蟋蟀遁入車下。晚上歸山，才發車，見二蟋蟀于引擎蓋、擋風玻璃，回家又十五公里，二蟋蟀乃下車，躍入草叢。

其二

撒毖已用十年的筆記型電腦，命終嗚呼，因而買了一臺新電腦；螢幕是觸控式的，不必按鍵、用滑鼠。
方便是很方便，但是山上蟲多。撒毖常用電腦時，突然蹦出不相干的程式、方塊。再看，原來！小飛蟲光臨，踩著觸控式螢幕，電腦馬上反應。

one

Sometimes when we drive down to the city, we find a grasshopper, cricket, or katydid coming along for the ride. They may stand on the windshield, the hood, or the doors, and no matter how fast the car takes turns, no matter how the wind blows, they stand their ground. Or windshield.

Tuesday as soon as we started out we noticed a cricket on the hood, and another strolling about the windshield. Fifteen kilometers later, when we parked at the subway terminal, they jumped down below the car. That evening, when Sabiy turned on the ignition, we saw that the crickets had resumed their posts. They were still there when we parked at home. Then they jumped into the underbrush and disappeared.

two

Sabiy's laptop finally died, after a long, productive life. We got her a nice new all-in-one computer with a touch control screen. Nifty. You don't have to key or use the mouse, just touch the screen.

It's convenient, but we do live in a jungle. Sometimes Sabiy will be using her computer when suddenly a totally unrelated program or box appears. A second look shows some bug sauntering across the screen, setting off the touch control screen at every step.

 

#2300!

Look, you'e not going to believe this if I don't prove it, so read the link below. A man was confined to a wheelchair because he lost a leg and an arm when he got hit by a train. He lived in a special home and had a history of mental illness; whether or not as a result of the trauma of losing his limbs, I don't know, but he "would sometimes go off a bit, but you just ignore it," the owner of the home said.

For some reason, he went off a bit more than usual, the police came, and the man in the wheelchair used his only arm to wave a pen at the police. So what happens next? The police shot him to death.

I told you you wouldn't believe me. Read the link.

But you'll believe me when I tell you: this happened in Houston, Texas. Oh. That explains it. Two policemen were incapable of rushing the wheelchair, tasering him, spraying him with pepper spray, turning over the wheelchair, or any one of a number of possibilities. They had no choice but to kill him. Texas, after all.

I'm not making this up, although I wish I were:: LINK:::

Can you imagine what would happen to a regular citizen if he told the police he shot and killed a man in a wheelchair who threatened him with a pen?

太好了，美麗灣不可以繼續破壞環境。下一步就是把這個醜陋、不仁不義的建築拆除。
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千鈞一髮！小山羊掉進水池，腳被下面石頭挾住了，緊急關頭，是哪一位英雄來救呢？

click here:::

If you can eat pork after watching this, the next step for you is eating babies.

資治通鍵、晉惠帝永寧元年：「孫惠儉而不陋、清而不介、望之頹然而不可侵也。」
(孫惠這個人很儉樸但不至于簡陋，清高但不至于跟人太有距離、看起來一幅弱不禁風的樣子但其實誰也不能冒犯他。)
做人若能如斯，亦可無大過。

Arrgh, matey, it’s Talk Like A Pirate day!

www.talklikeapirate.com

Some speculation on the recent games in the Pacific
一、 眾所周知，一九七二年的上海通報，美國政府已經宣佈管臺灣是中國的事。
二、 亦眾所周知，美軍的長期策劃中心，十年前就認定左營必然將成為中國人民海軍的軍港。
三、 美國欠北京的債是天文數字；只要北京要美國付債務的利息，美國經濟立即四腳朝天。
四、 日本經濟靠北京。
五、 兩週前，美國宣佈，北京在太平洋擴展勢力的事，美國只會配合，不會干涉。
六、 不到兩週後，釣魚台事情又開始鬧大；這不可能是巧合。
七、 日本與北京爭釣魚台，臺灣無法插手：很簡單，實力不足。
八、 李登輝已說釣魚台是日本領土，這很可能是北京安排的伏筆，作用扗于牽制臺灣極右派的臺獨。
九、 日本很可能也是配合北京、演戲給大家看，先搖旗吶喊，再來談判，最後釣魚台一定歸中國。
十、 北韓好不容易開始改革，但年輕領袖未十分穩，也要看北京臉色。尤其最近整頓軍方，金正恩必須安頓軍心。
十一、 韓國人最討厭日本。要讓南、北韓統一，最快的方法是一起對抗日本。
十二、 倘若日本對釣魚台投入太多軍力，韓國成為日本後顧之憂。
十三、 釣魚台對日本不重要，但北京佔釣魚台，就是敞開了臺灣的門。
十四、 或許整件事，北京志扗臺灣，不扗釣魚台。
十五、 臺灣志扗內鬥，不管外面的事。

It is no secret that in 1972, the US government announced it would stand off from Taiwan, and that a the beginning of the 21st century, American military long term strategists were taking it for granted that Taiwan ports would be serving the Chinese People's Navy.

The US has not had a lot of choice in this matter, as the US debt to the PRC is staggering; if they were to call in the interest on the debt, the US economy would immediately turn belly up.

Japan's largest trading partner is the PRC.

Two weeks ago, the US announced that it would work closely with Beijing as they expanded their influence in the Pacific. In less than two weeks, friction arose over the disputed Diaoyutai Islands between Taiwan and Okinawa. This cannot be a coincidence.

Taiwan has laid claim to the islands, but does not have any power to back up the claims. Former President Lee Tenghui's astounding declaration that the islands are actually Japanese territory may have been set up by Beijing, to counter Taiwan's extreme right, the Taiwan Independence people.

I suspect that Japan is also playing a role here, yelling and shaking their scabbards as a prelude to negotiations that confirm the islands as Chinese territory.

North Korea has finally undertaken reforms, but Kim Jong-Un is still not firmly in control, especially since he purged the military. He has to take PRC support into consideration.

Both Koreas, North and South, hate Japan, so the quickest way to unify Korea would be to have one or both face off Japan. If Japan got too serious about military operations in Diaoyutai, they would have to worry about Korea on their other front.

Actually, Diaoyutai is not very important to Japan, not nearly as important as the economic might of PRC. But if Beijing can move freely around the islands, the door to Taiwan is wide open.

So maybe the whole affair is directed at Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Taiwan is too busy in-fighting to pay attention to what's going on in the world outside.

蚊子坑
從前，東北海岸有個地方叫做「蚊子坑」。不太吸引人吧。或者說，太不吸引人吧！因為其實很漂亮，小小一處沙灘，旁邊有岩石。也沒關係，因為當年從宜蘭北上的路，盡頭就在和美，才兩三百公尺之外，路也沒鋪柏油，所以沒有遊客，除了我。我從金瓜石走路去。
後來，濱海公路開了，他們大概想到，應該沒有很多客想扗「蚊子坑」渡假，所以改名「金沙灣」。是比較好聽。
又一則

我大學時常到鼻頭角、福隆一帶去浮潛。從金瓜石到和美只有一條步道，不通車，連摩托車也無法通行；從和美到福隆的路只有一個車道，因為很少有車。剛好我畢業時就開始建濱海公路。我認識這個工程的一位工程師，他說，心裏很矛盾，因為他看地方太純樸，不忍心打開他們的世界。那時沿岸的村子都很小，兩三戶一撮，六七家一處。每村到傍晚，吃完晚餐，小孩子、年輕人集中在村子的南端，大人在北端，各自聊聊天；若有車，一定從福隆方向(南邊)來，所以如果小伙子看到車要來，就會派人跑到大人的那一頭，報告消息，然後全村來等待、看看是甚麼人把汽車開到他們家園。可是一個星期難得看到一台車。

工程師說，公路開了，他們看到汽車會那麼興奮嗎？傍晚還會聚在一起聊天嗎？

果然，兩個答案都是否定的。

I trust you remember that September 16 is the important day of commemoration, National Cinnamon Raisin Bread Day, just a prelude to the even more vital event we eagerly look forward too each year, September 19, Talk Like A Pirate Day.

"Not only does junk food make you fat, but it could cause dementia." A new study warns of the dangers of eating junk food, including people as young as fifty having serious brain damage. While I wonder which is the cause and which is the effect, the article is worth reading: here::

The article also says that "teenagers who eat a diet that's high in fat and calories already show 'accelerated cognitive decline.' The researchers blame rising rates of dementia on our increasingly unhealthy eating habits and couch potato lifestyle."

最近捷運裏的電視劇廣告：

沒有破壞不了的感情
只有不夠努力的小三
諺語雖俗，但有理：家和萬事應興。臺灣的離婚率還不夠高嗎？不需要在公眾場所提倡這種邪見。
這樣給社會大眾，尤其小孩，非常不好的教育。

那天一位父親帶兒子到補習班來報名，繳費時父親要求打折扣，已經打了八折，還嫌不夠，要打六折。父親無恥無理，但櫃員態度和善，卻不得打六折。父親很惡霸的語氣說，「叫妳的主管出來。」組長出來，說已經打了八折，不能再打折。父親囔著，「叫你們總經理出來！」 補習班打八折，已經打了折，憑甚麼要總經理出來？就是憑他的霸氣惡口嗎？或者憑他拿了幾張鈔票出來，他就有權當老大嗎？
他兒子看扗眼裏。這種教育很恐怖。這個兒子將來做人，一定自我重心、霸道、不講理。

最近香港有人抗議教育，所以臺灣就有人不加思索，別人有的我們一定要有，所以出來抗議國民教育。
當然，他們這樣抗議，多少也證明國民教育沒有教人辨別是非、民主概念、道德、獨立思攷、品德。
但請問，為甚麼矛頭對著學校教育？應該先討論家庭教育、電視教育、廣告教育、流行盲從的弊病。

一直覺得很奇怪：劉備欲帝天下，卻名子為禪讓之禪，實在奇怪，不知他老人家在想甚麼。
按：扶不起的阿斗，名劉禪。就是向曹魏投降、禪讓失蜀漢、樂不思蜀的那一位。

我正式宣佈放棄學鼻笛的夢。去年，旮亙阿美樂團北上表演，少多宜團長說西方人的鼻子吹不了鼻笛，因為鼻孔位置的關係。我當然不服氣，表演完就很不客氣地借了鼻笛，很用心吹…果然吹不出音來。

團長慈悲，他說幫我訂造適于高鼻的鼻笛。等待已久，他今天終于帶了鼻笛來，結果我吹得出聲音！萬歲！
好了，說實話，吹不太出來，但至少有聲音。但可以感覺到大部分的氣從旁邊流出，聲音很無力…但有聲音！
我企圖把鼻笛左右搖、輪流用左右鼻孔吹，可是鼻笛的聲音蓋不過我喘氣的聲音。
好了，我知難而退了，熱淚盈眶，我正式宣佈放棄學鼻笛的夢。
可是
少多宜團長建議我學弓琴。這我就很有興趣！等我機會到臺東向他討教。

I am announcing that I have formally given up my dream of playing the nose flute.

Last year, the Gageng Amis Troupe performed in Taipei, and the troupe leader Sawtoy mentioned that Western noses don't fit the nose flute. I do not wish to go into the painful details again, so please click >here< for the full, uncensored tragedy.

But Sawtoy said he could make an improved nose flute, so I waited eagerly for months. Finally he came to Taipei again, with his improved nose flute. I put the flute to my nostrils, took a deep breath, and produced melodious music!

Well, okay, let's be honest, I produced a whiny, anemic sound, but at least I was able to coax a sound out of it (other than my own wheezing). This is a great step forward! A victory for Serbian nostrils! Although even I had to admit that most of the air escaped out the sides, rather than flowing into the flute.

Discretion being the better part of valor, I have decided to concede defeat, so with tears in my eyes, I am formally giving up my dream of playing the nose flute.

But!

Sawtoy suggested I take up the bow harp, which sounds like a great idea. So I'm planning to go down to Taitung for a couple of days sometime and learn how to play that. Consolation prize.

今天到少輔院，剛好是拿破崙與俄軍交鋒兩百週年日，所以放了1812給他們聽。我覺得能給他們介紹偉大藝術品，是我的榮幸。

It happened that I was scheduled for the Reformatory today, so I played 1812 for them. One of the privileges of being a volunteer there is the chance to introduce them to great works of art totally beyond the scope of their experience.
Also: here:: and there were no Russian POWs.

Today is the 200th anniversary of the battle of Borodino, Бородинское сражение, Napoleon's pyrrhic victory over the Russians. Described in War and Peace as "a continuous slaughter which could be of no avail either to the French or the Russians," the battle is also the subject of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Listen to it today, in commemoration of all the brave souls who struggled there, and in the hope that such wars are never fought again.

我很受不了一個謬論：心靜自然凉。鬼呀！本來不怕熱的人才這樣說，但溫度降到二十二度，長袖馬上穿上來，絕不會說：心安自然暖。

我大學修劉正浩老師的左傳；劉老師一再強調，「春秋是民主社會。」扗下不以為然，不只是因為沒有選舉，且是因為整個社會風氣、人民恖攷模式、生活習慣，都不合現代所謂的民主。也罷，期末攷申論題：試論，春秋是否民主社會？扗下不求好死，寫了一長篇反駁，說春秋壓根兒不是民主社會；引經據典，從三傳、禮記、論語、墨子到洛克、Payne、Jefferson，說明春秋是民本社會，但絕非民主社會。寫完還得意，這篇很有說服力吧！

過幾天在校園遇到導師，他一看到我便問，「陶維極，你攷左傳是怎麼攷的？劉老師給我看你的攷卷，上面用黑筆寫四個大字：滿口胡言。」

我回老師，「老師，我本來就是洋鬼子，開口閉口當然都是胡言。」

心想，春秋是否民主社會，未成定論，可是有些老師顯然不支持言論自由的民主。

Apparently we are learning now what a hero we had in Neil Armstrong.

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