I am Your Sunshine

Jenny went out in a stormy wintry night.
And she never came back.

Our eyes sometimes meet, but quickly we turn our heads away
from each other.
No one bears to ask where
she’s gone.

Or why.

Hiding behind the remote, your face betray your absence.
I fix my thoughts on the swirling of coffee,
will it to get cold.
But I saw the distorted version of myself
alone in this empty house.

Sounds magnify silence.

We stay in this fridge of a house
waiting to be thrown away.

I like the blue of the sky close to the horizon.

I like the fragrance of tiny white flowers sneaking up unexpectedly on me.

I like the bubble enwraps me when I read that shields me from the world.

I like music that resonates with every molecule within me
and the kind that needs to be solved.

I like a man who, upon sitting down, pulls out not a smartphone, nor an iPad,
but a Kindle.

and you’ve probably guessed, the purpose of this whole thing
was the Kindle bit above.

20110313 @ Davies Symphony Hall, SF

A busy, with piles of todos, yet very pleasant Sunday.
(Even though it WAS spring forward day.)

Had dim sum with Michael (my 1st and 2nd grade classmate) and Jessica (his sister), both of whom I haven’t seen for about 20 years, as well as Bob, whom was Jessica & Alice’s elementary school classmate. It was like meeting new friends whose basic family details are already imprinted in your memory.

* * *

When I took off from Milpitas library, it was pushing 3:30. Yet as I pulled over by Davies Symphony Hall, it was not even 4:10. I don’t quite know how I did it. (It was supposed to be a 1-hour drive.) Rain drizzled on and off; I hid myself under my tiny umbrella, strolling on Hayes, admiring whimsical shops along the street. I settled down at La Boulange as planned, indulging myself with macaroons (caramel and passion fruit + mango) and a bowl of large latte by the window. A sip of coffee, a nibble of macaroon, a few lines of reading, a wandering glance at passersby or a longing study of the subtle distinction between color and light and dark of garbage can, trees and rain drops; repeat from start.

* * *

7pm, Yefim Bronfman promptly emerged on stage and he did not hesitate to begin. Yefim started the evening with Haydn’s Piano Sonata in C major, Hob.XVI/50, which I do not particularly appreciate. The Allegro was pleasant yet soulless, and therefore quite a drag. (It’s just not my cup of tea. Not that Yefim played it badly.) The second piece on the program was Salonen’s Humoreske, which was composed on commission from Carnegie Hall this year. However, Mr. Salonen with his good humor did not finish the piece in time; therefore, Yefim played Schumann’s Humoreske in B flat major, Op. 20 instead. I don’t think I’ve ever heard this one before. Humoreske is never my thing. However, this piece is in fact quite engaging.

Applause. Lights up. Intermission.
I delightedly noticed that perhaps half of the audience have yet to reach retirement age.

Lights blinked. People started to settle in but unfortunately not as fast as Yefim did. He simply couldn’t wait to attack the piano! Notes flowed freshly and crisply like streams and I was instantly reminded how Chopin’s Etudes Op. 10 is one of my favorite works by him, probably only second to the magnificent Polonaise Op 53 in A-Flat. No. 2 was beautiful and captive. Yefim absolutely transformed sophisticated and tender emotions into sound for us to intake. No. 8 was played differently then what I was used to; however it was so wonderfully interpreted. No. 12 was a blast; it was rock concert equivalent; not only was it passionate and exhilarating, it was also deeply affecting. I could almost feel my boiling blood. It was truly a blessed experience.

Two encores: Schumann’s “Arabeske,” and Liszt’s Paganini Etude No. 2.

The movie deserves a post of its own. :)

When I first learned about the film, it was a must-see for me simply because of my Mr. Darcy, I mean, Colin Firth. And then I realized it was based on a novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood, who was once a mentor, collaborator and partner of W.H. Auden, whom I LOVE. In the spirit of “love me, love my dog” (愛屋及烏 in Chinese), I hold an affectionate feeling towards Isherwood and his works as well.

Tom Ford’s A Single Man, for me, is a manifestation, in the form of a movie, of the philosophy – Art for Art’s Sake. The storyline is not necessarily what the movie is trying to deliver. Like Whistler’s painting of his mother, which, to him, is not about his mother, but an “arrangement in gray and black.” Its manipulation of color and light and dark, its flow of music, every detail in the film carries meanings, and build and hold a continual flow of sincere and sophisticated, yet basic, human emotions. Toward the end of the movie, with no apparent reason, I cried like a baby. It was not for any particular sad scene. But the emotions built up throughout the movie was so deep and strong that it overwhelmed me completely. It is a profound viewing experience. It’s like putting on a record that moves you or standing in front of a painting that touches you.

It is pure art.

An Evening with CAKE: Showroom of Compassion World Tour
20110216 @ the Fillmore, SF

This is my third CAKE concert. It’s an all Cake event.

It took us some time to find parking. When we got in around 8:15, Cake just started Opera Singer. A bit gutted for missing the “grand entrance”, I soon got into the joyous groove. Cake’s music always has the power to infuse instant glee to listeners. After Opera Singer, John greeted us, and jokingly pleaded, “Some people think they’re skipping the opening band. There’s no opening band. We’ re the opening band; please don’t skip us.” Cake’s layback and humorous music brought a smile to everyone’s face; many people, including myself, swayed with the beats, fully enjoying ourselves. Happiness – that’s really all I want to say about a Cake concert – pleasant, delightful, jolly, blissful… and all their fellow synonyms.

(might not be accurate) Setlist: Continue Reading »

The Rock (1996)

It’s a grunge thing.

I LOVE this movie.
The 90s is filled with classic goodies like this. A 15-year-old action movie as it is, The Rock still holds up to today’s standard. It shows Michael Bay’s control and precision of visual stimulation as well as the pace which build up viewers involvement with the plot.

Con Air (1997)

Con Air didn’t fare as well as The Rock unfortunately. For me, it used to be a romantic experience mixed with twisted yet intriguing characters. However, this time the one liners, which now seem to be a thing for the 90s movies, really get on my nerves. And somehow it’s not as exciting as I remembered. (I know, I know. I’m getting jaded. But consider how The Rock still engages and thrills, you can understand my disappointment.

A Single Man (2009)

This is not an old movie. Surely not by my standard. (One of my pet peeves is people calling movies from the previous year “old movies”.) But I wanted to watch it again with w, so we did.

Tom Ford’s A Single Man, for me, is a manifestation, in the form of a movie, of the philosophy – Art for Art’s Sake. The storyline is not necessarily what the movie is trying to deliver. Like Whistler’s painting of his mother, which, to him, is not about his mother, but an “arrangement in gray and black.” Its manipulation of color, of light and dark, its flow of music, every detail in the film carry meanings, and build and hold a continual flow of sincere and sophisticated, yet basic, human emotions. It is a profound viewing experience. It’s like putting on a record that moves you or standing in front of a painting that touches you. It’s pure art.

Judge Dredd (1995)

I used to love Judge Dredd and I was gonna watch it with w. However, I quickly reviewed it a little and decided it’d be embarrassing so I watched it myself.

I’m so glad I made that decision. Rob Schneider’s unbearable. Several times I wanted to grab his shirt and yell “shut the f up”. Even though the story is still quite nice, it kinda makes my teeth grind with all its over-acting.

The Assassins (1995)

The Assassins, however, is one I know I can count on. Loved it when I first watched it; I was still very fond of it when I rewatched it when I got the DVD a couple years ago. The beginning of the film is reminiscent of film noir. The pace and the shots of the film is poetic, yet it doesn’t bore or clog the flow. I’d give credit to the director, who I found later directed another film that I like very much – Maverick, and a series of successful Lethal Weapon. I’d also thank the writers for this intriguing story as well as its entertaining and concise dialogs. And who are they? The Wachowskis brothers! (who wrote The Matrix trilogy!)

And in this movie, Stallone proves us that he is capable of intelligent/intelligible speech, which, honestly, always surprises me. Julianne Moore is very cute in The Assassins, and not to mention Antonio Banderas’ brilliant portrayal of this bold, psychotic contract killer.

Maverick (1994)

Speaking of Richard Donner (the director of The Assassins), I’d like briefly to mention Maverick, although it was not among the movies I re-watched lately.

Maverick is a western comedy based on a 50s TV series of the same name. With Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and James Garner, who was the original Maverick, it’s a jolly good fun. The movie was shot in Glen Canyon, so it brought back happy memories of our thanksgiving trip to the Arizona desert (Monument Valley &c.)

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

Ignore its deviation from “facts” (literary or that of the original graphic novel). LXG is a wonderful entertainment, a visual fest with a stunning cast.

My heart was in constant elation when seeing all those literary characters thrown together and when recognizing gobbets of references here and there. But besides those, the visual design of this film is exquisite and charming, especially that of Captain Nemo’s technologies.

Of the above movies, the following are the ones I still find entertaining at this day and age:
The Rock, The Assassins and Maverick.
(I’m not listing post-2000 films here because they are works of the current decade.)

There are a few albums that I listen to through the years, over land and sea. Some of them mean more than music to me, especially those which I got in contact with in my teenage years, such as Debbie Gibson’s Think with Your Heart and Madonna’s Something to Remember. Things we read or listen to when we grow up usually have deep, if unconscious, impact on us; they tend to help develop our taste, shape our opinions. Sometimes a piece of music defines a period of our lives. We all have that one song which is associated with a certain event; whenever it’s played, we’re brought back to the place and time, sometimes against our will. Even when we’re happy and content with our present lives, a strong rush of emotion, which makes no sense whatsoever, invades our hearts as the first few notes reach the air. And there are albums that simply stood the test of time and remain beloved to me.

This is by no means a condense list of what kind of music I like or what bands or singers I generally prefer. More often than not, an album secures a place in my all time favorite chart while its artist not even being regarded as one to my liking. And some of the bands/singer (e.g. Cake) I deem my all time favorite didn’t make this particular list at all.

The following is the list in my personal chronological order (backward):

The Clientele – God Save The Clientele (2007)
Soft and dreamy like puff pink cotton candy. Delightful and carefree like a stroll in the park in a breezy, sunny day. It relaxes and transports you into a world of light colors and happy thoughts. For me, it’s a listening experience of no burdens. Because, you know, some music exhausts and demands. The Clientele tolerates and understands; better yet, they comforts.

The Strokes – Room On Fire (2003)
Call it serendipity, call it fate. I came to know the Strokes rather late, rhyme unintended, in 2007. I discovered this marvelous album at Borders. As if coming out of weak signaled radio station, Julian’s voice meandered through the wall of steady guitar and bass, like a message struggles to be delivered. I was instantly mesmerized. Their music intoxicates; it draws you into crazy, spinning madness that is in their head. Although it is my belief that you have to experience an entire album as a whole (especially those which efforts were put into its track order), I still have my personal favorites. Automatic Stop, Under Control and The End Has No End are probably the ones that engage my emotions the most. Somehow, they channel the glooms buried within me and bring out a tearless sorrow, or rather, forlornness, in the sense you read in a Romantic poems.

Strays Don’t Sleep – Strays Don’t Sleep (2006)
Another, if not the most, precious find at Borders. It’s THE album to play on the road, especially when we leave the city and suburbs behind and enter long roads sandwiched by the green green grass. When the air is crisp and clear, windows rolled down, Matthew’s rough, yet helplessly tender voice carries poetic whispers dancing light-footedly. The calm and tender hum betrays a hint of fragile longing, yet its gently piled melancholies don’t overwhelm.

Green Day – Warning (2000)

Warning is the only Green Day album that I like. It’s one of their less liked albums, but it speaks to me, musically and lyrically.
. .
.

Robbie Williams – Swing When You’re Winning (2001)
Been a fan of Robbie for a long time. When he released his very first solo album, I wasn’t sure what to think of it. I said I liked it mostly because I liked him. But when I got my hands on Swing (after RW’s Sing When You’re Winning), I fell in love with it presently and completely. Surprisingly, his timbre is just right for the genre; his quirkiness just makes the music even more fun. His Royal Albert Hall DVD is definitely worth checking out. Despiting being all the things Rupert Everett said when introducing him during the concert (a little thin boy in a boy band who turned into a big fat slob in a rehab clinic, the most paranoid man in showbiz), he’s no doubt a great performer.

Firewater – Psychopharmacology (2001)
I still remember that not particularly sunny afternoon. It must have been a weekend, or Christy and I couldn’t have ventured into the city of San Francisco. It was the summer of 2001; we were taking language courses at UC Berkeley extension. I remember listening to this album at the second floor of the Rasputin on Powell. Within the claustrophobic shelves of the record store, Firewater’s neurotic, edgy sounds of music wrapped me with excitement which was yet foreign to me. At first encounter, Tod A.’s voice might seem dry and monotone; yet it quickly draw you into the mesmerizing head of his and you fall into a world which looks familiar yet something is not quite right, in a good way.

(to be continued…)

聶魯達的信差

非常可愛的小書, 翻譯者感覺很用心認真地試圖傳達出原本文字赤裸直接的感情.

看完之後讓我想再把聶魯達的詩拿來讀讀 (果然該學西班牙文的啊…) 以及好好研究智利的歷史.

Ralph Cosham
– The Scarlet Pimpernel, 2007 production

Charles Keating
– Agincourt by Bernard Cronwell
– The Lighthouse by P.D. James
– Death in Holy Orders by P.D. James
– The Murder Room by P.D. James

Simon Prebble
– A Certain Justice by P.D. James

Michael Kramer
– Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Euan Morton
– Fool by Christopher Moore

Continue Reading »

The Black Tower is the book that got me into the beautiful writing of P.D. James. I first read it when I was in college; it was part of a then-ongoing collection of mystery novels (in Chinese translation.) I was fascinated by the complexity and the sophisticated description of her characters’ psyche. But honestly, I didn’t quite remember what it was about when I picked it up again this time.

— Spoiler alert —

The Black Tower is the 5th Adam Dalgliesh story, and it seems to me that it is the equivalence of Lawrence Block’s Eight Million Ways to Die in terms of character development. Incidentally, Eight Million Ways to Die is the fifth Matthew Scudder novel. In The Black Tower, Dalgliesh learned that his fatal disease was merely a mis-diagnose. Ready to face his death, he was not prepared to go back to the life as he knew of. Through the progression of the book, Dalgliesh faced the internal as well as external conflicts and eventually broke through his questions and doubts regarding to his own existence. While in Eight Million Ways to Die , Scudder’s alcoholism brought him to the edge of self-destruction. Throughout the book he was struggling with himself and he finally came to terms with his problem in the most heart breaking way.

What’s brilliant about Ms James’ writing is that her characters, not likable in any ways, are vividly and “accurately” portrayed. We always know one or two persons that fit the description and thus we’re able to relate. Her voice is gentle, not too cold and distant, yet never over-passionate. Her choice of words are always elegant and delicate which enchant and engross the readers so that we are drawn uncontrollably into the world she painted.

The Black Tower has the elements of a gothic tale and the “mystery” in the story is not what really matters. For me, it’s an intriguing journey that Dalgliesh went through and rediscovered himself.

(61部) 2010幾乎都沒有寫什麼心得, 相較之下 2007 認真多了, 新的一年要努力一點!
A-
masterpiece
District 9 (2009) 
inspiring
Temple Grandin (2010)
Freedom Writers (2007) 
delightfully inspired
Ghost Town (2008) 

Moliere (2007) 
Niagara (1953) 
Indiscreet (1958) 
Dirty Dancing (1987) 
The Social Network (2010) 
Burlesque (2010) 
Tangled (2010) 

B+ Continue Reading »

四十一本. 2011要加油!
*****
American Gods – Neil Gaiman : 格局寬宏嘆為觀止
Agincourt – Bernard Cornwell : 精彩刺激動人心弦
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen : 筆觸細膩辛辣
The Habit of Art – Alan Bennett : W.H. Auden!!
The History Boys : Alan Bennett
The Confession – John Grisham : 引人深思
The Thirteenth Tale – Diane Setterfield : 複雜華麗文字優美
從精緻到完美 – 張繼高 : 真知灼見
我等不到了 – 余秋雨 : 動人
終於直起來 – 紀蔚然 : 幽默寫實
嬉戲 – 紀蔚然
更衣室的女人- 章緣 : 描述微妙婉轉的心思非常細膩

****
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgeral
The Penelopiad – Margaret Atwood
A Home at the End of the World – Michael Cunningham
Beowulf
Lamb – Christopher Moore : has depth while being outrageously hilarious
Fool – Christopher Moore
The Uncommon Reader – Alan Bennett : very very cute
The Secret Speech – Tom Rob Smith : exciting and visual
Enemy of God – Bernard Cornwell
Eight Million Ways To Die – Lawrence Block
秋花 – 北村薰
燭光盛宴 – 蔡素芬
甜蜜小謊言 – 江國香織 : 令人心驚
仙人掌旅館 – 江國香織 : cute
流淚的終究是妳 – 山本文緒
誤解莎士比亞 – 紀蔚然

***
Severance Package – Duane Swierczynski
Northanger Abbey – Jane Austen
白蛇 – 嚴歌苓
梁羽生散文 – 梁羽生

**
附魔者 – 陳雪
東京島 – 桐野夏生
無糖的愛情 – 山本文緒
花影 – 葉兆言
冰箱 – 柯裕棻
Watching the English – Kate Fox
How to be Good – Nick Hornby

*
如果，我在那裡…… – 片山恭一
虹 – 吉本芭娜娜

看一半丟掉的: Continue Reading »

Way better than I’d expected.

The premise might be stupid but the story is not too bad, and there’s a huge difference between a premise and a story. The art direction was spectacular and the soundtrack is beautifully done. One can tell that many shots, angles and movements of the “camera” were intended for IMAX screen. It’s a pity that I watched it in a standard (rather small) auditorium, but there’s no way I could sit through two hours of 3D without my head exploded.

The first hour was great, and then it slowed down. There were some parts that, in my opinion, were unnecessary. But I figured since they spent so much on it, it’s totally understandable that they couldn’t bear to get rid of any of it.

It’s a visual feast I really enjoyed.

ps. I had to say the trailers they showed before the movie got me worried. You can usually tell if the movie would fit your taste by its preceding trailers, and man were there some terrible ones. The titles of some of them are horrible by themselves, e.g. Real Steel and Cowboys & Aliens. Fortunately, there was Thor to save the day. I’m so looking forward to it.

[From NPR]
瑞士以高山田園風光聞名, 另外它身為中立國家以及重隱私的銀行服務亦廣為人知.

然而瑞士也有不為人知的黑暗面.

一直到八零年代, 成千上萬叛逆的破壞制序的青少年沒有受公開審判便被關起來. 官方說法是”行政拘留”, 但其實這些年輕人是被送入監獄或是勞工營. 繼續閱讀

走在倫敦街上, 尤其是 River Thames 南岸, 總忍不住多看這棟奇妙的建築幾眼, 就像舊金山的 Transamerica Pyramid 一樣. 然而拿 Transamerica 跟 30 St Mary Axe 相比似乎有點不倫不類, 雖然兩者都讓人們的目光流連忘返, 後者卻耀眼許多.

一般人通常直接以它的地址 (30 St Mary Axe) 或是外型 (the Erotic Gherkin) 代稱這棟建築. 由於 Swiss Re Company 佔據了大部份的辦公樓層, 因此 30 St Mary Axe 有時也被稱作 Swiss Re. 30 St Mary Axe 原是 Baltic Exchange (波羅的海交易所) 總部大樓, 然而在 1992 年愛爾蘭共和軍在附近發動炸彈攻擊, 損毀了該大樓以及臨近幾個建築. 相關當局原先計劃重建大樓恢復回原本來樣子, 後來發現大樓的損壞程度比原本估計的還要嚴重. 1995年 Baltic Exchange 將土地賣給 Trafalgar House, 然而 Trafalger House 於 1996 年提出高達1266英呎的 Millennium Tower (千憘塔) 計劃被駁回 – 理由是跟城市的規模不合而且會影響飛機航道. 今天立於倫敦窄街上的閃亮小黃瓜是由 Norton Foster 與 Ken Shuttleworth 以及 Arup 的工程師設計, Skanska 建造, 共費時三年, 於 2004 年四月開幕.

此建築的設計讓它只需要同樣規模的建築所需的一半能源. 它的形狀造成內外壓力不同而每層樓的間隔正好因此自然的通風系統. 而通體的玻璃帷幕確保大樓內部有良好的採光. 當然它的設計沒有那麼”簡單”, 想知道設計師如何運用不同的方法讓冬天及夏天都能達到能源最有效的利用, 請看 Wiki.

另外, Transamerica 長這樣 Continue Reading »

Bookshelf Porn
別太開心, 這不是真的色情網站. 不過對於書癡來說這可能是比色情網站還要更好的東西. Bookshelf Pron 收錄世界各地的書櫃照片, 有的新奇, 有點典雅, 有的神秘, 而有的本身就像一件賞心悅目的藝術品.

其中包括:

斷掉的書架 / 偽裝成書櫃的門

Yale Rare Books Library

延伸閱讀: 書本自是顏如玉

今年一直有想進城看看聖誕燈光, 於是星期日下午出發, 接了 chun, 安主及安媽媽便前往 SF.
氣象預報說會下雨, 但是看在我們要出遊的面子上就放晴了. 開心.

城裡人車不少, 我們直接放棄找路邊的位子, 正直直開往 Bloomingdales 的停車場眼前竟然就出現一個空格. double A 車位運真是名不虛傳!

我們避開 Union Square 的人潮, 好不容易找到隱密的 Claude Lane. Cafe Claude 的燈光跟 Le Charm 一樣昏黃, 不過 Cafe Claude 的吧台更為誘人, 而他們的調酒單也配得上這樣的酒吧. 不過我們沒有點酒. 我們點了四道前菜: Sauterne Mousse 是浸在 Sauterne 的鵝肝, 香滑不膩, 我非常喜歡. 還有 Escargot en Croute 焗蝸牛蓋酥皮, 中規中舉一般般. Coquilles Saint Jacques 是擺在 Coquilles 貝殼上的焗烤海鮮, 濃郁鮮甜. 再來就是重頭戲 Steak Tartare! 不要看名字如此樸實, 其實它的作法跟口味都十分華麗. 我們的侍者在桌旁架起一個小架, 上面擺了一盤手工剁好的生牛肉, 各式醬料以及一個有點深度的空盤. 他先在空盤內打入一顆生的鵪鶉蛋, 再加入幾匙 dijon, 橄欖油, 還有好多雜七雜八我沒看清楚的東西 (據說有 capers, cornichons, shallots), 倒入牛肉攪拌, 最後再灑上一點 tabasco 及新鮮胡椒 — 超. 好. 吃.

First courses 之外我們點了兩道 entree, 吃法國菜吃到現在, 唯一讓我們特別驚豔的只有兩三年前 Le Charm 那道奇妙的鮭魚塔, 其他真的都普普通通. Skirt Steak + fries 通常都不錯但也就只是牛排而已, 我們還在 Chez Papa 吃到過料理很糟糕的魚. 所以現在我們吃法國料理的重頭戲都是前菜, 主菜只是拿來隨便填肚子用的. 而本日主菜我們點了 Agneau 烤羊排與 Truite aux Amandes 煎鳟魚. 羊排煎得很好, 沒有很重的腥味所以安主也吃了幾口, 配著 rosemary garlic sauce 十分爽口, 最厲害的是旁邊的蔬菜竟然有皇帝豆! 幾百年沒吃到皇帝豆了說!! (我想喝皇帝豆排骨湯….) 鳟魚的檸檬蘑菇脆杏仁醬也非常好吃!

甜點叫了 Tarte Tartin, 主要是因為我想要比較 Cafe Claude 跟 Le Charm 這兩家的 Tarte Tartin 哪個好吃 (各有優劣.) 還有 Mousse au Chocolat, 很好吃, 沒有莫名其妙的杏仁味 (Pasta Pomodoro 的就有.) chun超愛它的奶油香草豆醬. 其實安主跟我都很想試 Crème Coconut, 可惜我們實在吃不下了, 只好下次再來!

(安媽媽還請了客, 真是不好意思… 謝謝安媽媽 ＞／／／＜)

吃飽喝足我們散步到 Union Square 看聖誕樹, Saks 5th Avenue 今年沒有布置, 讓我有點失望. 我好喜歡它過去幾年的雪花牆說.

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[From The Economist]
書介: Mistresses: A History of the Other Woman. By Elizabeth Abbott.

來自加拿大的作家兼史學家 Elizabeth Abbott 從小就知道有”情婦”一辭的存在, 她媽媽總是咬牙切齒將她曾祖父安置”花俏女人”的公寓稱作”愛的小窩”. Abbott 的曾祖母對此事抱著睜一隻眼閉一隻眼的態度, 唯一的條件是每當情婦收到一顆鑽石的同時, 她也要有一顆. 如今 Abbott 在她的新書 Mistresses: A History of the Other Woman 中由情婦的角度來探討婚外情的本質與歷史. 繼續閱讀

[From The Economist]
為了讓消費者容易想像, 香水往往被賦予多采多姿的文字, 例如花香調或麝香調. 然而各家香水廠牌對於同一支香氣往往會有不同的形容, 香水因此不易統一分類. 於是有研究學者開發了一套新系統冀望可為香水世界帶來新制序. 繼續閱讀