Hope = crap

Yes, I'm now in Vancouver. Last night I watched Shawshank Redemption with my old bean. The movie is pretty fun to watch, entertaining from start to finish. It's got a few famous lines that people repeat, such as "hope is a good thing, may be the best of things, and a good thing never dies," and "hope is a dangerous thing."

I don't feel that hope is a good thing, but neither do I think it dangerous. I just feel that hope is crap, meaningless. I don't think it is a big loss at all if I just die tonight. It might be pretty cool to eventually graduate from the stupid program or get to play Final Fantasy XIX or whatever, but to endure all the hardships and boredom most hours of most days of my life just to enjoy for that little bit is so not worthwhile. It is kinda like eating a crab: all that hard work just to eat that little meat is a good waste of time and effort.

Perhaps I should find a job that is ridiculously life-threatening but not physically demanding (is there even such a job?), since I get the strong feeling that I might just meet the same end as young Werther did, though for vastly different reasons.

新玩具

首先, 臨走都仲買到平o既新書. 今次真係真正o既"最後"一次.

Copper Scroll Studies
Price: $7.99
Original Price: $75.00

The Gospels in Context: Social and Political History in the Synoptic Tradition
Price: $8.99
Original Price: $85.00

Johannine Eclesiology
Price: $12.99
Original Price: $129

The Rhetoric of Characterization of God, Jesus, and Jesus' Disciples in the Gospel of Mark
Price: $15.99
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The Text-Critical Study of the Epistle of Jude
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Original Price: $185

The Anointed and His People: Messianic Expectations from the Maccabees to Bar Kochba
Price: $16.99
Original Price: $169

Thomas at the Crossroads
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Original Price: $99

In Search of Paul
Price: $2.99
Original Price: $35

Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope

由於最近壓力大, 所以完全冇晒 mood 寫論文, 終日以打機打發時間為樂, 連本來唔想玩o既 game 都玩埋. 尋晚剛剛玩完 Star Ocean 4. 呢隻 RPG 我總有玩到爆機, 都唔算係太差, 不過其實我去到最後個迷宮都有諗過放棄, 算係處於合格邊緣. 呢隻 game 好奇怪, 佢其實都有不少優點, 但係造呢隻 game 嗰班人, 又同時製造出相應o既缺點去消滅返呢 d 優點, 真係非常 on9.

首先, 一開隻 game, 第一樣就會留意到畫面好靚, 雖然有好多不夠細緻o既地方, 同 MGS4 之類冇得比, 但係畫面都算好 sharp. 最靚係 d 環境, 花草樹木, 沙漠, 海邊, 非常巨型o既建築物, 全部都好靚. 問題係佢地將 d 環境造得太大, 而全個 game 你都只可以行, 冇任何交通工具可以用, 所以由一個城鎮行去另一個城鎮, 往往要用成半個鐘以上, 煩到死, 令人唔想玩任何 side quests. 好多時走入一個迷宮, 打完隻大佬之後, 你仲要用腳行返轉頭, 而個環境地圖又大到無倫, 簡直就係令人覺得係浪費時間.

而班主角, 畫面係靚, 但係人物設計根本就不知所謂, 除咗個機械人之外, 所有主角都算得上係樣衰, 而不幸地, 個主角就最衰, 成個港式 MK look, 而偏偏又對住佢最多, 真係冇可能投入角色. 其實當中 Faize 同 Lymle 個關係都幾好睇, 但係係大佬, 當你將 Lymle 設計成一個 6 歲孩童, 我點可能幻想 Faize 同 Lymle 之間有曖昧? 呢 d 唔係叫愛情, 呢 d 係叫做變態. 如果班設計者, 有些少常識, 將 Lymle 設計成一個年記大 d o既女仔, 個結局咪好睇好多囉, 同埋呢 d 白痴 RPG 成日都總係有個把聲勁 cute/低B o既女童角色, 其實根本就唔 make sense, 一個 toddler 救返個宇宙?

而故事, 呢隻 RPG 有好多故事, 而我一般都係好鍾意故事性強o既RPG. 但係呢隻 RPG 真係特別, 佢係多故事得嚟多到令人厭煩o既程度. 原因有幾個. 首先, d 主角樣衰就係一個問題, 要睇班冇表情o既公仔頭口郁郁成半粒鐘, 真係好悶. 其次, d 英文配音真係不知所謂, 難聽到令人要發脾氣o既地步, 而最嚴重o既係班 cute 樣o既女角, 全部都係把聲勁尖, cute 到令人作嘔. 第三, d 對白寫得差, 同一樣嘢講一幾廿次, 重複又重複. 例如, 故事中段講到個主角意志低沈, 而呢段歷時成幾個鐘都係咁, 個主角成日死老豆咁款, 不斷講佢做錯乜做錯乜, 講成十幾廿次, 到佢想重新做人嗰時, 我已經心諗: 不如你死 X 咗佢好過啦. 至於角色, 呢隻 game 所有角色都有不少 development, 但係當個角色本身係令人生厭的話, 不論幾多 development 都係多餘.

而玩法, 今集 item creation 易用好多. 但係佢地搞到只有喺你隻太空船上先可以用 item creation. 之前已經提及過, 呢隻 game d 地圖係超大, 所以當你去到一個城鎮, 買到一 d 原料, 你就要行成至少半個鐘返去隻船上先可以用 item creation, 而當你行到返去, 先發覺原來喺個城度買少咗一樣嘢, 你真係會想打爆個電視. 所以, 雖然 item creation 個 system 係容易咗好多, 但係我情願用返 Star Ocean 2 嗰個成日要 reload 但係任何地方都可以用o既 item creation.

總結: 太多致命缺點, 除消晒隻 game 本身有o既優點, 非常可惜. 唯一最好係個 battle system, 但係如果我想玩打交, 我就直接玩 Devil May Cry 或忍者外傳, 唔係玩 Star Ocean.

AvaxHome

http://avaxhome.ws/ebooks/theology_occultism/pages/1

大力推薦呢個網, 佢有大量聖經研究o既電子書下載, 其中不少係 Brill 嗰 d 超級貴書. 互聯網真偉大. 過多十年八年, 第日 d 學生做 research 可能完全唔使去圖書館, 喺網上搵到晒. 而家有 ATLAS 之類o既 database, 只係實現咗一半, 因為冇書, 只有 journal articles.

又有新書到

今次比較多有關新約o既書. 其中我望過下, 似乎係 Early Christian Life 最有用. 我今個月尾就會搬返溫哥華住, 到時因為時差關係, 將來應該會好難買到咁平o既書, 因為喺溫哥華我起床嗰時, 人地喺東岸都已經食 lunch, 乜平書都已經俾人買晒啦.

Paul's Paradigmatic "I"
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Original Price: $179.99

Early Christian Life and Thought in Social Context
Price: $19.99
Original Price: $199.99

New Readings in John: Literary and Theological Perspectives
Price: $17.99
Original Price: $179.99

Novum Testamentum Graecum: Editio Critica Maior IV (The Letters of Peter)
Price: $4.99
Original Price: $59.95

Encounter with Biblical Theology
Price: $2.99
Original Price: $40.00

新蜀山劍俠

好大機會會喺九月尾搬返溫哥華住, 前路茫茫, 好大壓力, 所以呢排日日做嘢嗰時都要開齣電影睇, 最近就喺 youtube 度見到有得睇徐克齣舊戲"新蜀山劍俠", 聽就聽得多, 不過未睇過.

故事講元彪做o既卒仔, 碰上鄭少秋做o既神奇劍俠, 跟住佢去斬妖, 又碰上其他怪事怪人, 後來故事急轉直下, 個卒仔身邊好打o既奇俠全部被血魔 KO 晒, 所以個卒仔就同兩個武功非常麻麻o既孟海同李賽鳳去搵紫青雙劍去拮血魔. 其實個故事麻麻, 雖然背後係有 d 意思想講, 不時透過元彪說教, 不過到底都係冇乜特別, 一般劍俠大戰魔教大怪獸, 有 d 打鬥鏡頭亦交待得唔夠清楚, 畫面一轉, 會唔知做乜有個人會突然被打到飛開, 又唔係好明鄭少秋到底係點樣中咗血魔陰招. 畫面特技當年睇, 班觀眾應該會覺得好勁, 但係而家睇就當然係非常麻麻啦, 最後大戰尤其唔掂, 反而係開頭鄭少秋飛一大堆劍出去嗰下好型. 以前細個好鍾意睇"人間道", 最鍾意係燕赤霞招飛劍, 而家先知原來個 idea 係抄徐克齣"蜀山".

成齣戲最令我震撼係忽然覺得, 以前港片 d 女角真係好靚. 故事中段講鄭少秋同卒仔去到一個冰宮, 個堡主林青霞一出嗰時, 就覺得佢好靚, 因為我睇佢做戲都係睇比較近期如"東方不敗"之類, 佢已經比較老同肥咗, 但係喺"蜀山"入面又後生又瘦. 但係我覺得最好睇其實係李賽鳳, 嘩, 真係極靚囉, 而家 d o靚模呀, angelababy 之類超碼差佢十幾廿皮, 每個動作都 cute 到無倫, 令齣戲可觀度大增. 可惜李賽鳳後來多數都係拍打交戲, 齣齣都差不多, 如果佢做文戲或笑片, 我都會好有興趣睇.

又買到平書

"Like a Bird in a Cage": The Invasion of Sennacherib in 701 BCE
Price: $21.99
Original Price: $219.99

The World of the Aramaeans II: Studies in History and Archaeology in Honour of Paul-Eugene Dion
Price: $16.99
Original Price: $169.99

Like a Bird 我買咗兩個 copy, 其中一本送咗俾 Schuller, 臨走送 d 嘢俾佢, 大家開心下, 反正又唔係貴.

平書到...

冇上次平得咁緊要, 不過都可算係出乎意料之外咁平, 抵買, 抵買.



Law and Ideology in Monarchic Israel
Price: $12.99
Original Price: 129.99

Elisha and the End of Prophetism
Price: $14.99
Original Price: 149.99

Early Christians and Animals
Price $12.99
Original Price: 129.99

Disaster: Day of Crisis

終於玩到一個我覺得好玩, 又玩到爆機o既 wii game. 而夠吊詭o既係, 呢隻 game 冇北美版本, 只有日本版同歐洲版, wii 真係好痴線, 年中出咁多爛 game, 但係偏偏呢隻喺 wii 入面算中上o既就唔出, 同 Fatal Frame 4 一樣, 唔知佢想點. 可能佢地覺得唔夠低B o既 game 喺北美會賣得唔好, 辣塊媽媽, wii 真不是人玩的.

呢隻 game 好難講係咩類型, 因為乜都有 d, 有 platform, 有射擊, 又有開車, 其實無論咩類型都唔算特別好玩, 亦由頭到尾都好易玩. 但係角色同故事我都幾鍾意, 好有荷里活電影 feel, 又有恐怖分子, 又有天災人禍, 又有個女仔要救, 雖然好多嘢係誇張到痺, 但係一隻 game o既故事, 真係冇乜所謂, 過癮就夠, 所以令我有足夠動力玩到最後爆機. 其實個結尾好明顯係指向有第二集, 可惜第一集連喺北美都出唔到, 睇怕唔會有第二集.

玩到尾o既 RPG （8）: Suikoden Tierkreis

一向都好鍾意水滸傳系列, 因為一向都係故事性強, 同埋一手一腳由冇人冇物玩到成為一支義軍, 好有滿足感. 呢隻喺 NDS 上面o既水滸傳, 都有少少呢種 feel, 都係講社會不公, 令到一班人要反一個權力. 但係有幾點我覺得不滿:

首先, 喺玩法上, 水滸傳系列一向都有種大局觀, 會 feel 到真係成千上萬人為你上戰場打仗, 但係呢隻新 game 冇晒打大仗o既玩法, 次次都只係好似一般 RPG 咁隻揪隻, 次次出戰都只係得幾條友. 好冇癮.

其次, 雖然個故事算好成熟, 但係唔知點解凡係喺 NDS 上面出o既 RPG, d 主角就總係細路樣. 今集個主角就只得十三歲, 而故事做到成班英雄好漢無厘頭會以呢個細路為首領, 真係非常難以令人入信, 好難玩得投入, 假到爆.

最後, 故事推進比較單調. 水滸傳系列 d 故事一向都好多 twists, 但係今次就較少, 冇乜邊一 part 特別深印象.

總結, 雖然我係有玩到尾, 但係呢隻唔算係好o既 RPG, 最令人不滿o既係 NDS d game 成日無厘頭將 d 角色低齡, 低B化.