French78部落格

主旨： 2011/12/9 同學聚餐 (照片輯)

終於有Claudette的團體照了!

多虧有Francine 的賢夫- Mr. 施在場邊幫忙拍攝的。

最早到的一批同學，可以從頭聊到尾。。。

從不缺席的好同學。。。

三人行必有我友……

Salut! Mes A mis ! A bienvite….

打開音響，點擊下列網址，就在你的家中，讓我們用”音樂”來一起過節吧!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfz1pyq3EhE&feature=player_embedded#at=651

聖嚴法師 past away 2 years ago. 

His teaching is lasting forever. 

Share with you for the following few moments: 

He is a great fighter.

聖嚴法師圓寂 遺言：寂滅為樂

真誠的心感動世界─電影導演 李 安

作者：蘇育琪 　出處：天下雜誌 400期 2008/06

相關關鍵字：Taking Woodstock/推手/喜宴/飲食男女/臥虎藏龍

http://www.cw.com.tw/article/index.jsp?page=1&id=35017


李安給人的印象，溫文和煦。但他走過的成長路，顛簸崎嶇。

高峰深谷間起落，李安到過許多人跡罕至的人性角落。他對生命的體悟，令人低迴。他對人性的同情，悲憫寬容。

千山萬水走過，他深刻地體驗到： 真誠地面對自己，愈艱困愈要追尋本心。真誠地面對人性，就算遺憾也令人感動。

The following is the interview: 

http://video.cw.com.tw/pages/public/movie/player/tv_player.jspx?id=40288ae71addaf66011ade11b88001f7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wEPE3gGWdE

五月初的紐約街頭，春寒料峭。電影導演李安從一個午餐會議，匆匆趕回紐約大學附近的Focus公司辦公室。新片「Taking Woodstock」正緊鑼密鼓地展開，這已經是李安今天第四個行程了。他的臉上略有倦意，卻非常認真、專注地回答每一個問題。要換到另一間辦公室續談，看訪客忙亂地收拾一堆器材，李安很自然地幫忙拿起好幾樣，兩手滿滿地一路爬樓梯過走道。臨行前，請李安簽書，他慎重地說，這要用黑色簽字筆。寫好後，正要闔上書頁，想了想，又再拿回來，添了「保重！」。遞出書，拍拍訪客的肩膀，笑容中帶著鼓勵，「跑這趟辛苦了。」

「我希望自己是個nice guy，」被問到他最重要的人格特質時，李安笑著說，有點不好意思。在許多人的印象裡，這一款質樸真誠、李安式的笑容，揮之不去，十分難忘。

不管是李安的人，還是他的電影，最大的魅力，就是真誠。

「真誠地面對人性……真誠地面對自己，」兩小時的訪談裡，李安一再強調，用他溫和卻堅定的語氣，「你勇敢，願意真誠面對，會開拓出很多空間、很多思路。當在做這樣的開放時，那個能量會影響到你的觀眾，他會跟著進來。」

人生的春夏秋冬都經過，李安對人性的諸多面相，有刻骨銘心的體驗。

不管是李安的人，還是他的電影，最大的魅力，就是真誠。


因家庭的遷徙，小學起就經歷文化衝擊，在外省中原文化和日式本省文化間尋求平衡。自小是家中最受寵愛與期待的長子，卻連續兩次大學聯考落榜，無顏面對擔任高中校長的父親。在藝專找到舞台與信心，一路擔任男主角，還曾獲大專話劇比賽最佳男主角獎。赴美留學時，卻因語言問題，只能演默劇或小配角。專心朝電影導演發展後，找到最適合自己的表現方式，畢業作在紐約大學影展得了最佳影片與最佳導演兩個獎，美國三大經紀公司之一的威廉．莫瑞斯當場要與他簽約，沒想到在美國一留六年，一部片子也拍不成。

戲裡戲外兩個李安


眾人無法想像，三十好幾、有妻有子的男子，如何能熬過六年失業在家的日子，而不認賠殺出。李安卻說，「這是我要做、是我愛做的事情，毫無反悔。我不會說這把我撒錯地方，我後悔，從來不會。」

找到自己的興趣，追求自己的夢想，不斷學習成長，這個小學生都會作文的基本道理，卻極少人能像李安一樣，用全部的生命來孤注一擲。這樣的篤定，來自真誠的面對自己。「我一直知道我要什麼，其實很簡單，就是一部接一部拍，然後適應，然後從生命裡面學習。」

從生命裡學到的深刻功課，李安直接、間接地透過銀幕傳達出去，觸動觀眾內心深處相同的情感。「拍電影是很真切的體驗，裡面有我許多掙扎，」李安曾說。許多看過父親三部曲──「推手」、「喜宴」、「飲食男女」的觀眾表示，這些電影，幫助他們面對與家人間的複雜情緒，有愛與勇氣進行對話與溝通。

也因為高峰、低谷間來回擺盪過，李安看人性的掙扎，有著很大的同情。「我大概很合適跑到另外一個人的身上，這跟同情心有關。同情心不是可憐，是相同感情的意思。」他厭惡權威、厭惡用集體的、制式的、是非黑白的模子去簡化、判斷人性，「或者用一個很簡化、符號性的東西去凝聚力量。有那種力量，我就要想辦法把它打散，把它解構掉，」李安表示，解構之後，透過檢討、溝通，「彼此了解，就不會那麼劍拔弩張。」

因此，李安的電影，經常採取違反常規的角度：從南軍的角度看南北戰爭（與魔鬼共騎）、剖析「超級英雄」的父子情結與心理創傷（綠巨人浩克）、從恐懼的角度塑造漢奸（色，戒）、大俠也在倫理與慾望間掙扎（臥虎藏龍）。

很難想像，這麼一位處理複雜議題，直指人性深處的大導演，面對現實生活，卻束手無策，「很容易被騙，」說起因人老實、臉皮薄，不會拒絕人，而有無數被騙的經驗，李安笑著說自己是「不太有用那麼一個人。」

但一進入電影世界，李安卻是千軍萬馬，指揮若定。他和在英國劍橋大學主修英國文學的艾瑪．湯普遜，合作英國文學片「理性與感性」，贏得她的尊敬；他導演安妮．普洛的「斷背山」，讓這位以深刻描寫美國西部文化著稱的作家，極度推崇；他和武打片大師袁和平合作「臥虎藏龍」，拍出意韻深遠的武俠片。

戲裡戲外，怎麼有這麼大的差別？

答案還是回到李安的本心── 他所有的注意力都在電影上，電影之外，他不浪費心力，「人就會鬆散、不專心，就會space out，注意力不集中，」李安解釋說。

求真求準不妥協

電影世界裡的李安，要求精準，不輕易妥協。是不是nice guy已經不重要，而是要領著武林高手，精準地傳達複雜深刻的人性。

他不但要求演員情感表達的細緻深刻，就連最小的道具、佈景都不放過。作家龍應台曾經為文讚嘆過李安拍「色，戒」「以『人類學家』的求證精神和『歷史學家』的精準態度去『落實』張愛玲的小說」。文章中提及，戲裡所有的尺寸都是真的，包括三輪車的牌照和上面的號碼。街上兩排法國梧桐是一棵一棵種下去的，還特別訂做了一部真的電車。

這種求真、求準的精神，極度磨人。經常在挑戰工作人員的極限，但也激出了驚人的成長與超越。

《十年一覺電影夢》裡，李安生動地描寫他和人稱「八爺」的袁和平，如何「相互刺激，天天就這樣折騰」。李安要求編招時要「把角色個性融入動作」，「打鬥中得有故事，不能乾打」。李安的許多要求，常讓袁和平做得礙手礙腳，長吁短歎，一些動作無法做到也很沮喪。但整個武術班底仍不斷實驗，拚命嘗試，激發出很多新做法，終於拍出經典的竹林追打戲，達到李安要求的「打出一種『意境』」。

不過，還是經常有用盡力氣，還做不出來的情況。袁和平最常掛在嘴上的一句話就是，「電影是遺憾的藝術。」

何只電影，對李安而言，人生本來就有太多無可奈何的遺憾。「人盡力了，還委屈。人盡了力量，事情還不行。」是最令李安感動的。因此，他電影裡的很多主角，像李慕白（臥虎藏龍）和王佳芝（色，戒），都很賣力。但因內在、外在的種種因素，事情做不成。但他們都盡力了，甚至付出自己的性命。

帶著悲憫的眼光看這一幕幕，李安以愛作為最後的救贖。戲的末尾，玉嬌龍拚了命為李慕白找解藥、易先生坐在王佳芝的床上流淚，「（愛的）本質可能是一團霧，摸不清楚。可是你的需求、當你感受到的時候，那是很人性的感覺，這個我是很肯定的，也一直是我不會放棄的，」李安說。

導戲，更導演人生

李安導演的，不只是戲，而是人生。引領觀眾走進人性的細緻幽微之處，李安具有一種獨特的穿透力，可以進出東西文化、古今題材、性別角色、電影片型……。

「我的出身老是在漂泊，我們外省人到台灣，適應這裡，然後到美國又適應美國……我遊走過很多的地方，在中間發現很多東西，」李安強調，歷史為台灣帶來多元文化的沃土，是很寶貴的資產及優勢，千萬不要輕易拋棄，「文化這種東西，要維護很困難，要不爽把它丟掉，很快，一斷層就沒有了。」

因此，李安有很強烈的使命感。身為歷史交接的這一代，「我覺得我有責任，要留下一些東西，」李安說，「這是策動我做國片一個蠻重要的動力。」

李安希望透過電影，為下一代留下可以回溯歷史的影像。更希望透過電影探討的議題，促進溝通。

「人要做深層的溝通，才會感覺到愛，」李安強調，「電影應該是一個provocation（刺激），不是一個statement（宣言）。真正好的電影，是一個刺激想像跟情感的東西，刺激大家討論。」

李安說話，和他的電影一樣，引人深思又有撫慰的力量。然而，再精采的戲，終有散場的時候。帶著意猶未盡的遺憾，訪談不得不結束。

李安笑著說再見，招牌的酒窩更深了。其實，這不是酒窩，而是小時候被狗咬留下的傷疤。
如果電影是遺憾的藝術，那現實人生應是面對遺憾的藝術。

真誠的笑容，能讓傷痕變酒窩。真誠地面對人性，就讓遺憾還諸天地。

60歲以前，陳永興不以「醫人」為滿足，他想「醫社會」、「醫國家」。身為精神科醫生，卻也從事文化工作、發起人權活動，更投身民主運動及政治領域。現在，他向自己的60歲告別，準備過另一個不一樣的人生……

在精神醫療領域及醫院管理上資歷豐富的陳永興，曾當過國代、立委、高雄市衛生局
長、高雄市聯合醫院院長，深耕南台灣的他，因一個巧妙的機緣，選擇在60歲時離開有著深厚感情的高雄，前往妻女眼中「遠在天邊」的宜蘭，擔任羅東聖母醫院院長。追溯這段機緣，他認為，冥冥中自有安排。


多年前，陳永興曾參訪羅東聖母醫院，當時就對此院一群義大利神父，為台
灣醫療做出無私的奉獻，留下深刻的印象。2009年，陳永興在友人建議下再度參訪，無意間看到一張照片，畫面是幾十年間來台服務的異國已故神父的墓園，照片中每個墓穴各安葬一位神父，唯獨最旁邊空了一個位子。當時他閃過一個念頭：「那個位置該不會是在等我吧！」

沒想到，隔了一段時間，聖母醫院便邀請他前來擔任院長。「起初，太太對於我放棄教職到羅東工作並不贊同，因為對於長住高雄的妻女來說，羅東是個『遠在天邊』的地方。」不過，陳永興認為，當年義大利神父們，不辭辛勞飛越半個地球到台灣服務，晃眼四、五十年過去，最後甚至埋骨於此也在所不惜，自己不過是從高雄到羅東服務，怎麼算遠？他想，只要心中有所感動，就算是到非洲也不覺得遠！

陳永興接任院長後，不負眾人期望，不到一年時間，便將長期虧損的聖母醫院治理成小有盈餘，還推動許多新措施與改革。他更計劃在聖母醫院成立服務老人的醫療大樓，更新硬體設備，方便老人家就診，也規劃增設地下停車場，解決鄰近醫院病患習於借用聖母醫院停車場的窘境。「神父原本擔心新建工程會造成財務負擔，但看到醫院一年內已轉虧為盈，就放心了！」陳永興充滿理想性格，但過人的行政經驗，讓理想不致徒託空言。


未做律師法官 卻成社會奉獻者

陳永興從小就是好打不平的孩子，高中時有感社會不公不義，立志當律師或法官，保障人權，為人民伸張正義。後來因父母強烈反對，只能讀醫學院。曾排斥學醫的他，直到看了史懷哲及早期來台的醫療傳道者之傳記後，發現學醫也能對社會有不一樣的奉獻，這才下定決心從醫拯救世人。


專長精神醫療領域的陳永興表示，當年會選擇當精神科醫師有兩個因素。其一：在醫學的分支裡，唯有精神醫學不全然是自然科學，而重視人的成長背景、家庭文化等人格因素，這對一向喜愛人文的他來說，十分如魚得水。

其二：他在學生時代就已進入生命線當志工，在接線的過程中體會到：人們精神上的痛苦不亞於肉體上的病痛。而且，當年精神科病患數量多，卻沒有人要做精神科醫師，一向樂於服務社會的陳永興心想：「沒人肯做的事，就該擔起來做，這種精神正是『服務』」！

即使遇殺手行刺 仍不改初衷，堅持理念


三、四十年來，陳永興的職業生涯過得十分精彩，擔任過花蓮縣民選立委、國代及衛生局長、醫院院長，不過，談到最愛的角色仍是「當精神科醫生」！原因是：「當國代、立委或衛生局長、院長，都只是階段性任務，只有醫生才是我這一輩子的工作。」

陳永興一生最欣賞的典範人物──蔣渭水及賴和，都是兼具行醫、從政、改革與教育精神的先輩，他也一直效法他們，希望成為一個：「能提高人類品質，改變人類心靈的人道醫者。」


政治大學台灣文學研究所陳芳明教授形容陳永興，「如果說他是一隻食夢獸，亦不為過。但是，並不在消耗夢想，而是在消化之後再付諸實踐。年少時期他投身挑戰與批判，為的是衝撞一個龐大的保守體制。經過傷痕纍纍的追求之後，他總是孤獨地舔舐自己的血跡。」他是一個為夢想，願意放棄一切，甚至選擇犧牲，仍然堅持理念的人。

年輕時，他為了民主理想而獻身，歷經多次危險風波，仍不悔自己投身民主運動的決定，後來他從政，甚至當衛生局長、醫院院長等職務，也不曾改變好打不平、行醫救人的初衷。即使在擔任高雄市衛生局長時，取締地下電台賣藥，因拒絕關說，而遭到暴力威脅，遇到殺手行刺，差點結束生命，他仍捍衛公義真理。回憶那段生死經歷，陳永興自覺從事民主運動，本來就是要犧牲性命，「一個本來就要革命的人，怎能怕死呢！」可見他的灑脫。

人不能選擇是否來世界 卻可以選擇如何過一生


現在60歲的陳永興，已決定把未來奉獻給上帝，為羅東聖母醫院服務。除了提升當地醫療品質外，有感於過去台灣的醫療資源、扶弱機構，受到許多國家幫助，因而也鼓勵員工，多往其他國家發展醫療傳道工作。

「人生沒有什麼事，比被生下來還痛苦！」陳永興解釋，人不能決定是否來到這世界，卻可以選擇如何過這一生！他始終認為，社會是在混亂中進步，與其選擇鬱悶過完人生，不如選擇繼續奮鬥。


陳永興引用史懷哲說的話：「保持樂觀是人性的終極目標。」換言之，人的一生波濤洶湧，當遇到天大的挫折時，只要能勇敢面對壓力，甚至學著和痛苦相處，痛苦終究會過去或習慣，生命總有如花籃般燦爛綻放的一天。

喜好文藝創作 無悔東海岸生活


在羅東，陳永興每天早上都會到羅東運動公園快走30～40分鐘。「以前在高雄，住在中央公園旁，覺得人生最幸福的事之一，就是每天可到公園散步！」他盛讚面積40公頃、比高雄中央公園大10倍的羅東運動公園，「是全台最棒的公園。」

「人一定要保持運動的習慣，走路就是一個很好的運動，過程中可以想想事情，邊享受陽光的洗禮，邊靜靜默禱。」若是遇到下雨天，陳永興就會在醫院裡走樓梯當運動，或是5點半下班之後，請一位韻律老師帶著所有員工一起跳韻律操，他完全不在意院長的「形象」，總是站在最前排，帶頭賣力又認真地跳著。

除了靠運動紓壓，感性的陳永興，平日最喜歡的休閒方式還包括看畫展、聽音樂會、看書及寫書。事實上，陳永興年輕時不但是「文藝青年」，多年來也筆耕不輟、著作等身，出版過相當多散文及小說創作。年輕時，他辦《台灣文藝》這本文藝史上重要的刊物時，不但每期訪問一位重要的畫家，用畫家的畫做為封面，自己也經常提筆寫作，創作不斷。


「以前我負責陳文成紀念基金會時，常常舉辦音樂會。現在在聖母醫院，每
3個月，我會舉辦一次音樂欣賞會，邀請許多音樂家來演奏。以後說不定會改成2個月舉辦一次。」陳永興真心希望東海岸的山水，和音樂多一些共鳴。

【更多精采完整內文請見《大家健康雜誌》1、2月合刊號】

I just read an article about USA current situation, it is shocking and unable to beleive it. 

Now in USA, each person is in debt for $46,000.00 due to huge national debt. 

The "American Dream" is shattering  and the "Core competence" is not existing. 

Please refer the following article: 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/opinion/19blow.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=homepage

February 18, 2011
Empire at the End of Decadence
By CHARLES M. BLOW

It’s time for us to stop lying to ourselves about this country.

America is great in many ways, but on a whole host of measures — some of which are shown in the accompanying chart — we have become the laggards of the industrialized world. Not only are we not No. 1 — “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” — we are among the worst of the worst.

Yet this reality and the urgency that it ushers in is too hard for many Americans to digest. They would prefer to continue to bathe in platitudes about America’s greatness, to view our eroding empire through the gauzy vapors of past grandeur.

Republicans have even submitted a draconian budget that would make deep cuts into the tiny vein that is nonsecurity discretionary spending, cuts that would prove devastating to the poor and working class.

At the very time that many Americans — and the very country itself — are struggling to emerge from a very deep hole, the Republican proposal would simply throw the dirt in on top of us.

This cannot be. Financing for education and social services isn’t simply about handouts to the hardscrabble, it is about building an infrastructure that can produce healthy, engaged and well-educated citizens who can compete in an increasingly cutthroat global economy.

One of President Obama’s new catchphrases is “win the future,” but we can’t win the future by ceding the present and romanticizing the past.

Here's a look at how the United States compares with other advanced economies............

Dave Barry year in review is widely circulated in the internet. 

I like to share with you: 

For more details please refer to:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/23/AR2010122303570.html

For photo gallery:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2011/01/02/GA2011010200012.html?sid=ST2011010300278#photo=1

Let’s put things into perspective: 2010 was not the worst year ever. There have been MUCH worse years. For example, toward the end of the Cretaceous Period, the Earth was struck by an asteroid that wiped out 75 percent of all the species on the planet. Can we honestly say that we had a worse year than those species did? Yes we can, because they were not exposed to Jersey Shore.

So on second thought we see that this was, in fact, the worst year ever. The perfect symbol for the awfulness of 2010 was the BP oil spill, which oozed up from the depths and spread, totally out of control, like some kind of hideous uncontrollable metaphor. (Or, Jersey Shore.) The scariest thing about the spill was, nobody in charge seemed to know what to do about it. Time and again, top political leaders personally flew down to the Gulf of Mexico to look at the situation first-hand and hold press availabilities. And yet somehow, despite these efforts, the oil continued to leak. This forced us to face the disturbing truth that even top policy thinkers with postgraduate degrees from Harvard University — Harvard University! — could not stop it.

The leak was eventually plugged by non-policy people using machinery of some kind. But by then our faith in our leaders had been shaken, especially since they also seemed to have no idea what to do about this pesky recession. Congress tried every remedy it knows, ranging all the way from borrowing money from China and spending it on government programs, to borrowing MORE money from China and spending it on government programs. But in the end, all of this stimulus created few actual jobs, and most of those were in the field of tar-ball collecting.

Things were even worse abroad. North Korea continued to show why it is known as “the international equivalent of Charlie Sheen.” The entire nation of Greece went into foreclosure and had to move out; it is now living with relatives in Bulgaria. Iran continued to develop nuclear weapons, all the while insisting that they would be used only for peaceful scientific research, such as — to quote President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — “seeing what happens when you drop one on Israel.” Closer to home, the already strained relationship between the United States and Mexico reached a new low following the theft, by a Juarez-based drug cartel, of the Grand Canyon.

This is not to say that 2010 was all bad. There were bright spots. Three, to be exact:

1. The Yankees did not even get into the World Series.

2. There were several days during which Lindsay Lohan was neither going into, nor getting out of, rehab.

3. Apple released the hugely anticipated iPad, giving iPhone people, at long last, something to fondle with their other hand.

Other than that, 2010 was a disaster. To make absolutely sure that we do not repeat it, let’s remind ourselves just how bad it was. Let’s put this year into a full-body scanner and check out its junk, starting with...

JANUARY

...which begins grimly, with the pesky unemployment rate remaining high. Every poll shows that the major concerns of the American people are federal spending, the exploding deficit, and — above all — jobs. Jobs, jobs, jobs: This is what the public is worried about. In a word, the big issue is: jobs. So the Obama administration, displaying the keen awareness that has become its trademark, decides to focus like a laser on: health-care reform. The centerpiece of this effort is a historic bill that will either (a) guarantee everybody excellent free health care, or (b) permit federal bureaucrats to club old people to death. Nobody knows which, because nobody has read the bill, which in printed form has the same mass as a UPS truck.

The first indication that the health-care bill is not wildly popular comes when Republican Scott Brown, who opposes the bill, is elected to the U.S. Senate by Massachusetts voters, who in normal times would elect a crustacean before they would vote Republican. The vote shocks the Obama administration, which — recognizing that it is perceived as having its priorities wrong — decides that the president will make a series of high-profile speeches on the urgent need for: health-care reform.

In other economic news, Toyota announces a huge recall following reports that its popular Camry model is behaving unpredictably — accelerating, decelerating, downloading Internet porn and traveling backward in time to unstable historical periods. This is expected to benefit Toyota’s competitors, especially troubled GM, which is hoping to score big with the new “Volt,” a revolutionary vehicle capable of traveling nearly six miles before its 19,500 triple-A batteries must be replaced.

But January’s biggest story, watched with growing alarm by observers around the world and threatening to force the United Nations to intervene, is the tense confrontation between Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno over who gets to be on NBC at 11:35 p.m. and tell jokes until the viewing audience falls asleep at 11:43. After a brutal struggle, Leno triumphs; O’Brien, vowing revenge, flees into the hills above Los Angeles with a small but loyal band of agents.

In other entertainment news, the runaway movie hit is Avatar, a futuristic epic about humans who travel to an alien planet to mine a precious mineral that they believe will give them the power to emit believable dialogue. This being a James Cameron movie, they fail.

Speaking of alien planets, in...

FEBRUARY

...Iran triumphantly announces (we are not making this item up) that it has launched into sub-orbital space a rocket carrying a rodent, two turtles and several worms. Iranian state television reports that the nation’s space program is “peaceful,” and that the rodent (we are still not making this up) is named “Helmz 1.”

In U.S. politics, President Obama, responding to the mounting public concern about jobs, invites Democratic and Republican congressional leaders to the White House for a historic daylong summit on: health-care reform. Despite their deep philosophical differences, the two sides are able, after hours of sometimes-heated debate, to hammer out an agreement on when to break for lunch. They fail to make any progress on health care, although in his closing remarks President Obama notes that the historic summit produced “only minor furniture damage.”

In business news, Toyota suffers yet another blow when a U.S. Department of Transportation study links the Camry to both diabetes and the JFK assassination. The CEO of Toyota appears before a congressional committee and offers a sincere and heartfelt apology for his company’s problems. At least that’s what his translator claims; it is later determined that what the CEO actually told the committee was, quote, “you have an eggplant in your bottom.”

Speaking of apologies: Tiger Woods delivers a nationally televised speech in which he says he is very, very sorry and has sworn off having sex with as many as eight different hot women per day. His golf game immediately goes into the toilet.

In other sports news, the Vancouver Winter Olympics begin on an uncertain note when it is discovered that Vancouver — apparently nobody realized this ahead of time — is a seaside city with a mild climate, so there is no snow. This hampers some of the competition, as for example when the Latvian cross-country ski team gets bogged down in mud and is eaten by alligators. Despite these setbacks, the games are deemed a big success, at least by the Canadians, because they won in hockey

In Super Bowl XMLLMMXVIIX, the underdog New Orleans Saints defeat the Indianapolis Colts, setting off a celebration so joyous that people on Bourbon Street are still throwing up.

Speaking of celebrations, in...

MARCH

...Democratic congressional leaders, responding to polls showing that the health-care bill is increasingly unpopular with the public, manage, with a frantic, last-minute effort, to pass the health-care bill, or at least a giant mass of paper that is assumed to be the health-care bill. This leads to a triumphant White House signing ceremony, the highlight of which is Vice President Joe “Joe” Biden dropping the f-bomb moments before being hustled off by aides to have an important meeting with somebody important.

Everyone at the ceremony agrees that the new law is historic and will become hugely popular with the American people once they have the opportunity to hear a few dozen more high-profile speeches about it from President Obama. But opposition is “brewing” in the form of the Tea Party movement, consisting of regular Americans who are fed up with costly big-government programs except for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. They are determined to elect a new breed of representatives who are not career politicians, or even necessarily sane.

In international news:

• Greece asks the International Monetary Fund if it can borrow 17 billion euro for “cigarettes.”

• Somali pirates, becoming increasingly brazen, seize the Staten Island Ferry.

• Iranian hero space rodent Helmz 1 is captured attempting to scurry across the Lebanese border into Israel. Iran claims this is a peaceful mission, but the Israelis note that Helmz 1 is wearing a tiny backpack filled with enough explosives to — in the words of one military analyst — “put somebody’s eye out.”

On a more hopeful note, on March 27 people in more than 4,000 cities around the world turn off their lights in observance of Earth Hour, saving an estimated 45 million megawatts of electricity — enough to power one of Al Gore’s houses for nearly three days.

But the environment suffers a big setback in...

APRIL

...when the Deepwater Horizon rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico after being struck by a runaway Toyota Camry. BP initially downplays the magnitude of the problem, claiming that the resulting oil leak is smallish and might go away on its own or even prove to be, quote, “nutritious for oysters.” Soon, however, large patches of crude oil are drifting toward land, and it becomes clear that this is a major disaster — a challenge that we, as a nation, will have to meet, as we have met other challenges, with a combination of photo opportunities, lawsuits and tweeting.

Elsewhere on the disaster scene, Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull (literally, “many syllables”) volcano erupts, sending huge clouds of ash into the atmosphere and forcing airlines throughout northern Europe to ground all flights. Greece, although not directly affected, announces that it will take six months off, just in case; France, as an added precaution, surrenders.

In domestic news, Arizona passes a controversial new law designed to crack down on illegal immigrants; this draws a sharp rebuke from the Mexican government, currently headquartered in Tucson.

President Obama outlines his bold vision for the U.S. space program, calling for a manned mission to establish comprehensive health-care reform on Mars by 2030. The president also signs a historic arms-reduction treaty with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev under which both countries will destroy one-third of their older nuclear missiles by upgrading them to Windows Vista. In a related development, Iran purchases $78 million worth of used nuclear-missile parts on Craigslist.

Speaking of growing menaces, in...

MAY

...the pesky Deepwater Horizon oil spill dominates the news as BP tries a series of increasingly desperate measures to plug the leak, including, at one point, a 167,000-pound wad of pre-chewed Juicy Fruit. President Obama, eager to show that he is on top of the situation, develops severe forehead cramps from standing on the shore and frowning with concern at the water. Meanwhile, Congress holds televised hearings that establish, beyond any reasonable doubt, that Congress is very upset about, and totally opposed to, large oil spills. Despite these heroic efforts, the leak continues to grow, and by the end of the month is threatening suburban Des Moines.

On the terror front, New York City police, alerted by Times Square street vendors, discover a smoking SUV packed with explosives — a violation of many city ordinances, including the ban on smoking. Fortunately, the car bomb is disarmed, and a suspect is later captured at Kennedy Airport by sharp-eyed TSA officers trained to spot suspicious behavior.

Ha ha! Just kidding, of course. The suspect is captured by U.S. Customs agents at the last minute after boarding a Dubai-bound plane filled with passengers who, like the suspect, had all been carefully screened by the TSA to make sure they were not carrying more than three ounces of shampoo.

In other air-travel news, the boards of directors of United and Continental approve a merger that will create one of the world’s largest airlines, with a combined total of 700 planes, 88,000 employees, and nearly two dozen packets of peanuts.

But the big financial news is the May 6 stock market “Flash Crash.” The Dow at one point is down nearly 1,000 points, including a drop of 600 points in five minutes, resulting in what financial analysts say is the largest mass purchase of emergency replacement underwear in Wall Street history. The SEC investigates the crash and later issues a 350-page report concluding: “You know that eTrade baby? In the commercials? With the grown man’s voice? That baby is REAL.”

Abroad, thousands of people riot in the streets of Athens to protest a report by the International Monetary Fund concluding that Greece should “think about maybe getting a part-time job.”

In sports, yet another major-league pitcher pitches yet another perfect game, and the baseball world wets its collective pants, because there is nothing more exciting to a true baseball fan than a game in which one of the teams can’t even manage to get on base.

The excitement mounts in...

JUNE

...as the Deepwater Horizon oil leak continues to gush, with each day bringing alarming new media reports claiming that it is an even worse environmental disaster than had been reported the previous day. The furor culminates in a New York Times story stating that eventually all the oil in the world will leak out through the hole in the Gulf floor and cover the entire planet with a layer of oil 27 feet deep, which, according to The Times, would be “potentially devastating for polar bears.” BP attempts to stop the leak using a high-tech robot submarine, only to see the effort fail when the sub is seized by Somali pirates. In Washington, the CEO of BP appears before an angry House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, which votes unanimously, after 7 1/2 half hours of testimony, to give him a noogie. Still, somehow, the oil keeps leaking.

Rolling Stone magazine publishes a controversial article in which Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, is quoted as saying that the Beatles’ version of Twist and Shout is better than the Isley Brothers.’ President Obama has no choice but to relieve the general of his command.

Abroad, U.S. intelligence intercepts a top-secret cable from Iran to North Korea, apparently written in code, stating: “Thanks for selling us the buclear beapons.” In response, the U.S. threatens to impose harsh new sanctions that, in the words of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “will make the previous harsh sanctions that we threatened to impose seem like only moderate threatened sanctions, and this time we are not kidding around.”

On the world economic front, thousands of rock-throwing rioters take to the streets of both Athens and Rome to protest punishing new austerity measures under which they would no longer be provided by the government with free rocks.

In consumer news, Apple finally releases the long-awaited iPhone 4, which incorporates many subtle improvements, the cumulative result of which is that it can neither make nor receive telephone calls. It is, of course, a huge hit.

In sports, the World Cup gets under way in South Africa; despite fears of violence, the massive event is totally peaceful, except for the estimated 13,000 people who leap to their deaths from the tops of stadiums to escape the sound of the vuvuzelas. The early tournament highlight (which we are not making up) is provided by the French team, which, after getting off to a bad start, goes on strike.

Speaking of bad, in...

JULY

...the Deepwater Horizon oil spill officially becomes, according to the news media, the worst thing that has ever happened, with environmental experts reporting that tar balls have been sighted on the surface of the moon. Just when all appears to be lost, BP announces that it has stopped the leak, using a 75-ton cap and what a company spokesperson describes as “a truly heroic manatee named Wendell.” Although oil is no longer leaking, much damage has been done, so this important story remains the focus of the nation’s attention for nearly 45 minutes, after which the nation’s attention shifts to Lindsay Lohan.

In other national news, Congress passes and President Obama signs into law a financial-reform act designed to curb Wall Street excesses by mandating the death penalty for anybody caught wearing a watch costing more than a house. Having guaranteed that the financial community will behave in a responsible manner, Washington returns to the important work of running up the deficit. On the foreign economic front, anger builds over plans by the governments of both Greece and France to raise the retirement age, which means workers would have to continue striking for several years longer before they could start collecting pensions. In protest, everybody in both nations goes on strike.

In the World Cup final, Spain defeats Holland, only to have the trophy snatched away by the North Korean team, which, despite a U.S. threat of “really, really harsh sanctions,” turns it over to the Iranian team, which was not even in the tournament. Eerily, all of this was predicted by a psychic octopus named Paul, who is immediately hired by Goldman Sachs.

But the big sports story is the decision by LeBron James, announced in a one-hour television special watched by a worldwide audience estimated at 127 billion, to take his talents to South Beach and play for the Miami Heat, where he will join Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Michael Jordan, the late Wilt Chamberlain and Jesus to form a dream basketball team so supremely excellent that it cannot possibly lose, not even one single game, EVER, in theory. Miami erupts in a joyous weeks-long victory celebration. During the excitement Fidel Castro dies, an event that goes unreported in The Miami Herald, which has devoted all its staff resources to a nine-part series speculating on whom LeBron will select as his dentist.

The month ends on a troubling note as the United Nations Security Council votes unanimously to send a peacekeeping force to quell Mel Gibson.

Speaking of troubling, in...

AUGUST

...concern over the direction of the U.S. economy deepens when Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, in what some economists see as a sign of pessimism, applies for Canadian citizenship.

In other economic news, the first family, seeking to boost Gulf tourism, vacations in Panama City, where President Obama, demonstrating that the water is perfectly safe despite the oil spill, plunges in for a swim. Quick action by the Secret Service rescues him from the jaws of a mutant 500-pound shrimp sprouting what appear to be primitive wings. The first family hastily departs for Martha’s Vineyard to demonstrate that the water is also perfectly safe there.

Speaking of getaways: JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater becomes a national sensation when he curses out a passenger, deploys the evacuation chute, grabs two beers and slides out of the plane. He is immediately hired as director of customer relations by the TSA.

In the month’s most dramatic story, 33 copper miners in Chile are trapped 2,300 feet underground following a cave-in caused by a runaway Toyota Camry. The good news is that the men are still alive; the bad news is that the only drilling equipment capable of reaching them quickly belongs to BP. Informed of this, the men elect to stay down there for the time being.

In legal news, Elena Kagan is sworn in as the newest Supreme Court justice, having established, in three days of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, that she went to either Harvard or Yale. Elsewhere, a federal jury deadlocks on 22 of 24 charges against former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, convicting him only of, quote, “being some kind of enormous rodent.” Outside the courtroom, Blagojevich tearfully thanks his supporters, then robs a convenience store.

In New York City, the big issue is a proposal to build, two blocks from Ground Zero, a Muslim community center that proponents claim will promote dialogue. Even in the purely conceptual phase it promotes a huge amount of dialogue, to the point where National Guard troops may need to be called in.

Another heartwarming interfaith story erupts in...

SEPTEMBER

...when Terry Jones, pastor of a tiny church in Florida, declares that he will proceed with plans to burn a Koran on 9/11. The media, recognizing that this is not really news, ignore him, and the matter is quickly forgotten.

But seriously: Jones becomes a major international story, comparable in magnitude to all of the Kardashians combined. President Obama speaks out against Jones’ plan, as do members of Congress, the military and virtually every American religious leader; abroad, there are fatal riots. Finally, after a great deal of soul-searching TV exposure, Jones decides not to burn the Koran, explaining, “I finally figured out that I’m just an attention-seeking jerkwater idiot.” The news media vow never again to encourage this kind of mindless hysteria. Abroad, the rioters agree to stop taking everything so darned seriously.

Getting back to reality: The 2010 election season enters its final days with polls showing that Congress enjoys the same overall level of voter popularity as hemorrhoids. Incumbents swarm out of Washington and head for their home districts to campaign on the theme of how much they hate Washington, in the desperate hope that the voters will return them to Washington. President Obama, basking in the glow of the health-care reform act, offers to campaign for Democratic candidates, only to find that many of them have important dental appointments and are unable to join him on whatever day he is planning to visit. Adding zest to the Republican stew is the presence of many “Tea Party” candidates, including Delaware Senate hopeful Christine O’Donnell, who at one point in her campaign releases a TV commercial that begins with her stating, in a calm and reassuring tone, that she is not a witch.

Meanwhile in Chile, an attempt to deliver food to the 33 trapped copper miners ends in a tragic accident involving what mining officials describe as “an incredibly courageous Domino’s driver.”

Speaking of tragic, in...

OCTOBER

...the U.S. economy suffers another blow as the Federal Bureau of Never Expecting Unemployment To Be As High As It Actually Is reports that, for the 37th consecutive month, unemployment is unexpectedly high. “Darned if we didn’t get fooled again!” exclaims a bureau spokesperson, adding, “We expect it to be lower next month.” Meanwhile Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke, speaking from his new office in Toronto, announces a plan to drastically increase the U.S. money supply by “quantitative easing,” a controversial process involving what Bernanke describes as “a major job for Kinko’s.”

The economy remains the big theme as the congressional elections enter the home stretch, with incumbents from both parties declaring their eagerness to go back to Washington and knock some sense into whatever incompetent morons are in charge. Polls show that the voters are in a very cranky mood, which tends to favor outsiders such as the Tea Party candidates, although O’Donnell definitely hurts her chances in Delaware when, during a televised debate, she turns her opponent into a toad.

President Obama, continuing his quest to find candidates willing to accept his help, winds up campaigning in what White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs describes as “some very key student-council races.” Meanwhile Sarah Palin, raising her stature as a potential 2012 GOP presidential contender, weighs in on the issues with a number of important tweets.

On the legal front, the Supreme Court, as it does every October, begins a new term, which is hastily adjourned when the justices discover that their robes have bedbugs.

In the month’s most dramatic story, the 33 trapped Chilean miners are all brought safely to the surface, only to be sent right back down because they failed to bring up any copper — which, as the mining company points out, “was the whole point of sending them down there in the first place.” Meanwhile in France, millions of workers again take to the streets to demonstrate, in no uncertain terms, that they are French.

Elsewhere abroad, terrorists in Yemen attempt to send mail bombs to the United States, confirming the long-held suspicions of U.S. intelligence that there really is a country named “Yemen.” The plot, which involves explosives concealed inside printer cartridges, is foiled, but as a precaution the TSA decides to prohibit air travelers in the Unites States from carrying anything capable of printing, including pens, pencils, and children in grades 2 through 5.

In sports, the National Football League, seeking to reduce violence, imposes stiff fines for defensive beheading.

Speaking of gory, in...

NOVEMBER

...the elections turn out to be a bloodbath for the Democrats, who lose the House of Representatives, a bunch of Senate seats, some governorships, some state legislatures and all of the key student-council races. Also a number of long-term Democratic incumbents are urinated on by their own dogs. President Obama immediately departs for a nine-day trip to Asia to see if anybody over there wants to hear about the benefits of health-care reform.

Speaking of health: Some air travelers express concern about radiation from the TSA’s new high-resolution scanners, especially after screeners at O’Hare are seen using one to make popcorn. TSA chief John Pistole insists that the scanners are completely safe “as long as you move through quickly.” He also assures passengers that their body images “are not saved for any purpose whatsoever, such as entertainment at the TSA Christmas party.” Nevertheless some passengers refuse to be scanned; they are required to undergo a manual procedure that is known, within the agency, as “the full gerbil.”

World tension mounts as North Korea, in what is widely seen as a deliberate act of provocation, fires artillery shells at Denver. Meanwhile, in another indication of the worsening global debt crisis, the directors of the International Monetary Fund vote to have Ireland’s legs broken.

The U.S. economy also continues to struggle, as the unemployment rate, catching everybody by surprise, turns out to be higher than expected for yet another month. The lone bright spot is provided by the president’s deficit-reduction commission, which, after months of work, releases a draft of a tough plan that, if Congress can muster the backbone to enact it, would reduce the deficit by trillions of dollars and put the nation on the path back to fiscal sanity. This is a welcome bit of comic relief in the stressed-out capital; everybody enjoys a hearty bipartisan laugh, then gets back to maneuvering for the 2012 elections.

In other entertainment news, Bristol Palin’s bid to win Dancing With the Stars falls short when the judges throw out 147 million votes from Palm Beach County. She winds up finishing third, behind actress Jennifer Grey and Vice President Biden.

In sports, President Obama’s upper lip is injured in a basketball game when he is hit in the mouth by an elbow believed to have been thrown by North Korea.

International tension continues to mount in...

DECEMBER

...with the continued release by Wikileaks of classified cables leaked from the State Department, which apparently has the same level of data security as an Etch-a-Sketch. The cables reveal a number of embarrassing diplomatic secrets, such as:

The last three rounds of Middle East peace talks have consisted entirely of delegates playing Twister.

• The Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan frequently, as a prank, exchange places in the United Nations, and nobody has ever noticed.

• High-ranking officials of Scotland, speaking in private, admit that they don’t understand what the hell they’re saying either.

• In 2007, Hungary paid $170 million to Russia for pictures of Sweden naked.

In domestic politics, a partisan debate rages over what to do about the expiring Bush tax cuts. The Democrats, suddenly alarmed about the deficit, want to raise taxes on people making $250,000 a year – or, as the Democrats routinely refer to them, “billionaires.” The Republicans want to extend tax cuts for everybody, but compensate by cutting federal spending at a later date using an amazing new spending-cutting device they have seen advertised on TV.

Finally, President Obama and the Republican leaders reach a compromise under which income-tax rates will stay the same for everybody, but the death tax will be expanded to include people who are merely hung over. Also, in a concession to the Iowa congressional delegation, the federal government will continue to fund a “green energy” program under which corn is converted into ethanol, which is then converted back into corn, which is then planted to grow more corn. This will cost $5 billion a year, but it is expected to create or save literally dozens of Iowa jobs.

President Obama, trying to sell the compromise, appears ambivalent, saying that “it is less than ideal,” but also pointing out that “it totally sucks,” adding, “I hate it.” Despite this smooth sales pitch, many Democrats are unhappy. There is even talk of a primary challenge to Obama in 2012, a notion dismissed as “nonsense” by Hillary Clinton, who speaks to reporters while traveling on what aides describe as routine State Department business in New Hampshire.

In another potential setback for the president, a federal judge in Virginia rules that the health-care reform act violates the constitution’s tonnage clause. On the environmental front, delegates from 193 countries at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Cancún, Mexico, pass a resolution stating that they should not have had those last four rounds of margaritas.

Time Magazine, in a controversial decision, names, as its Person of the Year, Iranian space pioneer Helmz 1. In television news, Fidel Castro makes a surprise guest appearance on The Walking Dead.

Speaking of entertainment: As the year finally draws to a close, all eyes are on Seaside Heights, N. J., where MTV plans to ring in the new year by dropping a ball containing Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, one of the leading bimbos of Jersey Shore. Millions eagerly tune in, only to find that the ball has been attached to something that makes it drop slowly. A bitterly disappointing end to a bitterly disappointing year.

But at least it’s over, right? And we can take comfort in the fact that 2011 cannot possibly be worse. Unless, of course, this newly discovered asteroid — maybe you read about it — continues on a trajectory that...

Try not to think about it. Have another margarita. Happy New Year.

The valentine heat is fading out for couple days already; however the LOVE is still lasting in daily life. 

I just want to remind you to keep your love story lasting forever no matter what kind of circumstance you and your love one is facing. 

Hereunder is the little cute article from NY Times for love. 

I hope you like it. 

February 14, 2011, 11:40 am

What’s Your Six-Word Love Story? By TARA PARKER-POPE

Can you sum up a relationship in six words?

The readers of the Web site Smith Magazine are doing just that, offering six-word memoirs to describe both love and loss. Some examples:

Love hurts. Choose vodka or valium.

You lost me at hello “ma’am.”

Life’s like chocolates. Picked, processed, pooped.

Hearts clubbed by diamonds in spades.

Passion, fireworks, good loving.He’s gay.

But our domestic partnership was notarized….

Your new wife is too friendly.

There’s nothing sex can not fix.

Finally found love, at age 41.

Note to self: avoid head cases.

He wasn’t worth the panic attacks.

Chocolate is the coward’s bad apology.

Pet-sitting for ex-husband describes amicable divorce.

Loved her madly — then went mad.

Warning, love: I blog my breakups.

What do you think? Do you have six words to share about love, marriage and relationships?

Please post your own six-word memoir below. And be sure to check out the Smith Magazine Web site for more six-word memoirs on happiness, teenagers, food and other topics.

Isabelle send me a message about a wonderful human being - Nelson Mandela.

Recently in North Africa and Middle East have a lot of up-rising and protesting to against the unfair dictatorship ruling countries.

It makes me thnk about the great men in history to fight against the unjustified sinful authorities and social unfairness. The first come to my mind is our founding father Dr. Sun Ye Shen. Then are Dr. Martin Luther King for civil right, Gundai for India independence, Mandela for South Africa.

The following is quoted message from Isabelle:

The following is Amy Winehouse performance for Mandela's 90 year old birthday concert.

The following is Nelson Mandela's first interview: 

He is a beautiful human being!

His impact is lasting forever! 

I read the following article in Yahoo Kimo News about 元宵 (Chinese Lantern Festival); this is one of most attractive festivals in the spring right after New Year! 

It makes me home sick always!

After this festival, life will go back to normal and I am getting older for one more year!

Share with you for the following: 

歡樂鬧元宵

From RH news:

更新日期:2011/02/05 10:06 鍾錦隆 

過了春節，緊接著元宵節就要登場了，今年全台各地都舉辦各式各樣的燈會，互相拼揚，不但要比人氣，也要比創意，希望吸引人潮，帶來滾滾商機。


◎元宵燈會觀光行銷 創造商機

聽到元宵就想到花燈，每年元宵節都很有看頭，各地縣市政府不只把元宵節當成一個傳統節日，還擴大舉辦燈會，融合地方特色，配合觀光行銷，希望打響知名度。


◎平溪天燈節 觀光客捧場

以新北市的平溪天燈節為例，相關單位很早就展開宣傳，而且邀請民眾上
網，寫下新年新願望，主辦單位將把民眾的願望，隨著天燈送上天空。主辦單位的點子，果然吸引民眾捧場，民眾上網寫的願望五花八門，但最多人許下的願望，是希望有一個健康的一年。主辦單位也將分別在2月6日、12日、17日舉辦3場大型的平溪放天燈活動。新北市觀光局長陳國君說：『(原音)所以從2月6日到17日，我們希望所有的好朋友都能到平溪一起放天燈，看到希望台灣，新北好young。』


◎參與放天燈 陸客有fu

平溪天燈節強調希望、祈福，這種祥和氣氛特別吸引大陸觀光客。過去2年，到平溪參加天燈節的陸客都有很好的評價，所以今年不少陸客團已經安排放天燈的行程，預料，將為平溪的店家帶來一筆商機。


◎建國百年燈會 苗栗登場

今年燈會最主要的重頭戲，是在苗栗舉行的建國百年台灣燈會，從2月17日進行到28日，燈會主題是「玉兔呈祥」。苗栗縣長劉政鴻說，今年燈會緊接在上海世博及台北花博後舉行，壓力很大，所以特別請知名的劇場導演
賴聲川，設計燈區主題館，希望給遊客不一樣的感受。


主辦單位並且邀請當紅的「小胖」林育群代言，演唱燈會主題曲「100分的幸福」。 大會還設計吉祥物「明明」與「亮亮」，並且推出伴手禮，推銷地方特產。

◎苗栗燈會 揚州展區吸睛


另外，今年苗栗燈會為了彰顯兩岸交流，特別設立揚州展區，展示大陸揚州的花燈工藝；大陸國家旅遊局局長邵琪偉預計25日左右，率領龐大的代表團到苗栗捧場。中華民國旅行公會全國聯合會祕書長許高慶說：『(原音)目前(大陸團)報名的接近400人，應該是在450左右，裡面包括旅遊局官員和旅遊業代表。』旅遊業者表示，苗栗燈會期間預估可以吸引2萬名陸客。

◎台北燈節 玉兔迎春


除了苗栗的台灣燈會外，台北燈節也是很有看頭。今年台北燈節以「玉兔迎春 囍耀台北」為主題，將從2月11日起至20日在台北國父紀念館、市府周邊舉行，燈海也將從仁愛路一直延伸到仁愛圓環。

◎好運兔 助你好孕


由於今年是兔年，加上台北市政府大力推動「助你好孕」生育計畫，因此
今年台北燈節推出的小提燈特別取名為「好運兔」。台北市長郝龍斌說：
『(原音)所以這隻兔子，我們是有創意設計，有非常多的意義在裡頭，而且都是有好運的意思，祝我們國家好運，祝我們所有百姓好運，同時祝我們年輕人好好懷孕！』

◎高雄燈會、鹽水蜂炮節 照亮南台灣


除了平溪天燈節、台灣燈會以及台北燈節外，今年舉辦大型燈會的地方，還包括高雄燈會，以及鹽水蜂炮節；另外，澎湖元宵節傳統的「乞龜」活動，也非常具有地方特色，加上其它各地的大大小小廟會猜謎活動，今年元宵節各地將是熱鬧滾滾，歡笑聲不斷。

遊行、猜燈謎 歡樂鬧元宵
更新日期:2011/02/16 04:11

〔自由時報記者林相美／台北報導〕明天是元宵節，應景活動多，台北燈
節推出提燈籠遊行；台北霞海城隍廟、慈諴宮晚上推出猜燈謎晚會，前者猜對燈謎有機會參加抽獎，現金獎最多一千元，最大獎為筆記型電腦，後者一律為現金獎，猜對一題一百元。


台北霞海城隍廟表示，明天晚上七點至九點半於迪化街一段六十一號旁的第一銀行前廣場舉行元宵猜燈謎晚會，安排猜燈謎及歌舞表演，民眾猜對燈謎，即可上台抽獎，獎品包括筆記型電腦、數位相機、可攜式ＤＶＤ、折疊式腳踏車、手機、電話、MP3，另有現金獎，最高有一千元；廟方
現場也將發送兔年小提燈。

另外，士林慈諴宮晚上七點推出歡樂慶元宵活動，廟方準備一百題謎題，民眾只要猜對一題，就可領一個紅包，內有一百元獎金，廟方表示，每年都很受民眾歡迎，現場反應熱烈。


台北燈節部分，明天晚上七點至十點，主舞台推出歡樂元宵過新年之夜，邀請藝人施文彬、王彩樺表演。除了主舞台外，活動代言玩偶將帶領大朋友、小朋友提著燈籠，頭戴發光兔耳朵，歡樂看花燈。

民政局表示，家長可陪著小朋友事先製作自己專屬的燈籠，明天帶著自製燈籠至主舞台，即可兌換發光兔耳朵頭飾，晚上六點至六點半、七點半至八點分兩梯次發放頭飾，晚上六點半及八點各有兩場次的遊行，漫步於故事主題燈區、媽祖壇、祈福燈區及南廣場創意燈區。

百年台灣燈會 國慶主題館率先驚艷登場
更新日期:2011/02/15 06:35


「台灣燈會」本月17到28號在苗栗縣竹南頭份運動公園盛大登場，由於適逢建國百年，縣府由燈會總策畫名導演(賴聲川)規畫設計的100國慶主題館，已
率先揭幕。豐富的人文印象和科技相互輝映，讓人驚艷，尤其館內一顆高8公尺的水晶樹，彩繪葉片在燈光的折射下，絢爛奪目！時代光廊的百位代表人物，也訴說百年來的歷史，讓燈會更有內容和可看性。(彭清仁報導)


2011台灣燈會，是苗栗縣六十年來最大的節慶活動，苗栗縣長劉政鴻也請來名導演賴聲川擔任總策劃，希望讓建國百年的台灣燈會，不但有可看性，更能突顯建國百年的人文特質！

縣長劉政鴻指出，建國一百年的台灣燈會，除了具有特色的客家創意主題館、水光秀、100國慶館、科技燈區之外，也結合地方的觀光和客家農產品等特色；其中率先登場的﹂100國慶館」，則是讓參觀者驚艷！賴聲川表示，外型是簡單的「100」，館內用一棵水晶樹代表祖先在這塊土地胼手胝足的奮鬥打拚、繁衍生命，牆面的臉譜是百年來為國家貢獻過的人物，也代表所有在這塊土地打拚過的人，民眾可以細細品嚐，緬懷過去，追求美好的未來。100國慶主題館，外觀採燈箱概念建造，主體建築長25米、寬10米、高10米，鋼骨結構，在夜間發出耀眼光芒。主題館內，一顆高八公尺的水晶樹，以壓克力材質製作，彩繪葉片在燈光穿透下，產生絢爛的折射幻影。八台投影機將中華民國一百年來各領域具代表性人物的影像，投射在兩側的牆面，呈現兩道時代光廊，讓燈會不是只有空洞的絢麗燈光更具有人文特質。劉政鴻也歡迎全國民眾到苗栗觀賞不同的台灣燈會。

平溪天燈添浪漫 相約白色情人節前夕
更新日期:2011/02/16 04:11


〔自由時報記者郭顏慧／新北報導〕
新北市長
朱立倫昨天在市政會議上表
示，未來要以「點的分散」、「時間拉長」辦理天燈活動，觀光旅遊局目前已著手規劃，預計在白色情人節前夕即三月
十三日，再次舉辦放天燈活動，邀請各地情侶們齊聚平溪，感受天燈冉冉升空的感動。


「北天燈、南蜂炮」，平溪天燈節已成為元宵節時，國內重要指標性的傳統慶典活動，今年平溪天燈節從大年初四登場，活動分三波舉行，壓軸活動明天將在十分天燈廣場登場。

副市長許志堅說，有民眾向他反映，前兩波天燈節活動塞車狀況改善很多，但相對遊客駐足消費機會減少，對此，市長朱立倫昨天在市政會議上強調，塞車絕對是遊客最不喜歡遇到的狀況，但店家生計也很重要，市府團隊應以「如何兼顧民眾感受與產業商機」為發想，解決問題。


朱立倫說，上週六天燈節平溪場次，也有商家向他反映，天燈產業全靠元宵舉辦天燈節吸引遊客，他認為團隊不應再將天燈活動侷限在元宵節慶期間，其他時間也可規劃中小型活動。

觀光旅遊局長陳國君說，配合市長裁示，朝「點的分散」與「時間拉長」推廣天燈，目前正著手規劃在三月十四日白色情人節舉辦放天燈活動，使天燈除有祈福意味，也能加入些許浪漫元素，但由於十四日適逢週一，因此將提前在前一天十三日於菁桐國小舉行，相關細節討論後會再對外公佈。