1. Adversity makes men, and propserity makes monsters.
2. Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.
3. People do not lack strength, they lack will.
4. The future has several names. For the weak, it is impossible; for the fainthearted, it is unknown; but for the valiant, it is ideal.
5. Good actions are the invisible hinges on the doors of heaven.
6. The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved.
7. Being good is easy, what is difficult is being just.
8. Every blade has two edges; he who wounds with one wounds himself with the other.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
The Hobbit
"The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Song in Chapter 1 "An Unexpected Party"
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.
The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In hallow halls beneath the fells.
For ancient king and elvish lord
There many a gleaming golden hoard
They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
To hide in gems on hilt of sword.
On silver necklaces they strung
The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sun.
Far over the misty mountain cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day,
To claim our long-forgotten gold.
Goblets they carved there for themselves
And harps of gold; where no man delves
There lay they long, and many a song
Was sung unheard by men or elves.
The pines were roaring on the height,
The winds were moaning in the night.
The fire was red, it flaming spread;
The trees like torches blazed with light.
The bells were ringing in the dale
And men look up with faces pale,
Then dragon's ire more fierce than fire
Laid low their towers and houses frail.
The mountain smoke beneath the moon;
The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom.
The fled their hall to dying fall
Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.
Far over the misty mountain grim
To dungeons deep and caverns dim
We must away, ere break of day,
To win our harps and gold from him!
- Song in Chapter 1 "An Unexpected Party"
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.
The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In hallow halls beneath the fells.
For ancient king and elvish lord
There many a gleaming golden hoard
They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
To hide in gems on hilt of sword.
On silver necklaces they strung
The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sun.
Far over the misty mountain cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day,
To claim our long-forgotten gold.
Goblets they carved there for themselves
And harps of gold; where no man delves
There lay they long, and many a song
Was sung unheard by men or elves.
The pines were roaring on the height,
The winds were moaning in the night.
The fire was red, it flaming spread;
The trees like torches blazed with light.
The bells were ringing in the dale
And men look up with faces pale,
Then dragon's ire more fierce than fire
Laid low their towers and houses frail.
The mountain smoke beneath the moon;
The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom.
The fled their hall to dying fall
Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.
Far over the misty mountain grim
To dungeons deep and caverns dim
We must away, ere break of day,
To win our harps and gold from him!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Blink - The Power of Thinking without Thinking
"Blink - The Power of Thinking without Thinking" by Malcolm Gladwell
Extract from Introduction:
1. You may have done the same thing, whether you realized it or not, when you first picked up this book. How long did you first hold it in your hands? Two seconds? And yet in that short space of time, the design of the cover, whatever associations you may have with my name, and the first few sentences about the kouros all generated an impression - a flurry of thoughts and images and preconceptions - that has fundamentally shaped the way you have this introduction so far. Aren't you curious about what happened in those 2 seconds?
2. I think we are innately suspicious of this kind of rapid cognition. We live in a world that assumes that the quality of a decision is directly related to the time and effort that went into making it. When doctors are faced with a difficult diagnosis, they order more tests, and when we are uncertain about what we hear, we ask for a second opinion. And what do we tell our children? Haste makes waste. Look before you leap. Stop and think. Don't judge a book by its cover. We believe that we are always better off gathering as much information as possible and spending as much time as possible in deliberation. We really only trust conscious decision making. But there are moments, particularly in times of stress, when haste does not make waste, when our snap judgements and first impressions can offer a much better means of making sense of the world. The first task of Blink is to convince you of a simple fact: decision made very quickly can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately.
3. Blink is not just a celebration of the power of the glance, however, I'm also interested in those moments when our instincts betray us.
4. The third and most important task of this book is to convince you that snap judgements and first impressions can be educated and controlled. I know that's hard to believe. Harrison and Hoving and the other arts experts who looked at the Getty kouros had powerful and sophisticated reactions to the statue, but didn't they bubble up unbidden from their unconscious? Can that kind of mysterious reaction be controlled? The truth is that it can. Just as we can teach ourselves to think logically and deliberately, we can also teach ourselves to make better snap judgements.
Extract from Introduction:
1. You may have done the same thing, whether you realized it or not, when you first picked up this book. How long did you first hold it in your hands? Two seconds? And yet in that short space of time, the design of the cover, whatever associations you may have with my name, and the first few sentences about the kouros all generated an impression - a flurry of thoughts and images and preconceptions - that has fundamentally shaped the way you have this introduction so far. Aren't you curious about what happened in those 2 seconds?
2. I think we are innately suspicious of this kind of rapid cognition. We live in a world that assumes that the quality of a decision is directly related to the time and effort that went into making it. When doctors are faced with a difficult diagnosis, they order more tests, and when we are uncertain about what we hear, we ask for a second opinion. And what do we tell our children? Haste makes waste. Look before you leap. Stop and think. Don't judge a book by its cover. We believe that we are always better off gathering as much information as possible and spending as much time as possible in deliberation. We really only trust conscious decision making. But there are moments, particularly in times of stress, when haste does not make waste, when our snap judgements and first impressions can offer a much better means of making sense of the world. The first task of Blink is to convince you of a simple fact: decision made very quickly can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately.
3. Blink is not just a celebration of the power of the glance, however, I'm also interested in those moments when our instincts betray us.
4. The third and most important task of this book is to convince you that snap judgements and first impressions can be educated and controlled. I know that's hard to believe. Harrison and Hoving and the other arts experts who looked at the Getty kouros had powerful and sophisticated reactions to the statue, but didn't they bubble up unbidden from their unconscious? Can that kind of mysterious reaction be controlled? The truth is that it can. Just as we can teach ourselves to think logically and deliberately, we can also teach ourselves to make better snap judgements.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Zig Ziglar Quotes
1. Attitude, not Aptitude, determines Altitude.
2. There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.
3. You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have impact on a life.
4. The more you are grateful for what you have the more you will have to be grateful for.
5. You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.
6. You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.
7. Failure is a de-tour, not a dead-end street.
8. If you can dream it, you can achieve it.
9. Every choice you make has an end result.
10. If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost.
2. There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.
3. You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have impact on a life.
4. The more you are grateful for what you have the more you will have to be grateful for.
5. You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.
6. You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.
7. Failure is a de-tour, not a dead-end street.
8. If you can dream it, you can achieve it.
9. Every choice you make has an end result.
10. If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Albert Einstein Quotes
1. Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.
2. Imagination is more important than knowledge.
3. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.
4. Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
5. You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.
6. Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.
7. Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.
8. Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character.
9. Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.
10. It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.
11. Any man who reads too much and uses his brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.
2. Imagination is more important than knowledge.
3. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.
4. Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
5. You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.
6. Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.
7. Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.
8. Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character.
9. Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.
10. It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.
11. Any man who reads too much and uses his brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
三國謀略 - 三十六計 (2)
19. 笑裡藏刀
曹操不但對敵人用此計，就連對己方人也用此計，楊修一事何見, 只要曹操，給點暗示，楊修又怎會不知自己有殺生之禍呢？
20. 反間計
周瑜就是利用曹操的疑心，利用蔣幹用此計，引曹操殺蔡賵、張允二人。
21. 擒賊擒王
22. 反客為主
23. 激將計
24. 虛張聲勢
25. 暗渡陳倉
26. 欲擒故縱
如果逼敵人太緊而使敵人無路可走，往往會遭到頑強的反撲，如果讓他逃走，不逼迫他，慢慢地削弱其氣勢、瓦解其士氣，再加以捕捉，這就是「欲擒故縱」的策略。
27. 調虎離山
28. 先發制人
兵法云「兵貴神速」作戰時誰的軍隊速度快，搶得先發制人的有利的地位，誰就佔上風，就會贏得勝利。
29. 空城計
空城計有兩種情況，一是故佈疑陣困惑對方，使己方渡過危機；另一種是有計劃佈局，誘敵深入後與予包圍殲滅。老年的趙雲，用此計嚇跑曹軍；孔明亦用此計嚇跑司馬懿。
30. 瞞天過海
諸葛亮五出祁山時，因軍中缺糧，只得以瞞天過海之計裝神退敵，使魏兵誤以為真有鬼神而不顧防守麥田，瞞天過海是兵法中以假示真策略，製造令人堅信不疑的假象隱瞞自己真正意圖。
31. 圍魏救趙
諸葛亮三出祁山，以王平、張翼引魏兵決戰，當王、張兩將危急並不救援反而另派姜維、廖化直接攻擊司馬懿大本營，如此不但解決危機還大獲全勝。
32. 拋磚引玉
蜀軍六出祁山，蜀魏對壘司馬懿固守不戰，諸葛亮以流馬騙的魏軍糧萬石，分散營寨讓軍隊屯兵種田示弱，再虛搭窩棚誘敵，險燒死司馬父子三人於上方谷。
33. 借屍還魂
諸葛亮病死五丈原，為使部隊安全撤回蜀漢，不得不製造木雕像驚走多疑的司馬懿，發揮了借屍還魂的效果。
34. 扮豬吃虎
司馬懿與曹爽同時爭權持政，司馬懿為奪政權，以十年光陰等待曹爽自以為大權在握高枕無憂時，奪回兵權。
35. 聲東擊西
司馬昭以此計大敗蜀軍，司馬昭命各州積極製造戰船，表面上看似進攻東吳暗地裡卻派鐘會、鄧艾集結大軍秘密做進攻西蜀的準備，不久果然直搗蜀漢大敗蜀軍。
36. 走為上策
諸葛亮初任劉備軍師，曹操趁其羽翼為豐先行戮滅，劉備兵力薄弱，硬碰必定自取滅亡，只能走為上策。
轉載自: http://3kingdoms.globalsoho.com/other/36iq2.htm
曹操不但對敵人用此計，就連對己方人也用此計，楊修一事何見, 只要曹操，給點暗示，楊修又怎會不知自己有殺生之禍呢？
20. 反間計
周瑜就是利用曹操的疑心，利用蔣幹用此計，引曹操殺蔡賵、張允二人。
21. 擒賊擒王
22. 反客為主
23. 激將計
24. 虛張聲勢
25. 暗渡陳倉
26. 欲擒故縱
如果逼敵人太緊而使敵人無路可走，往往會遭到頑強的反撲，如果讓他逃走，不逼迫他，慢慢地削弱其氣勢、瓦解其士氣，再加以捕捉，這就是「欲擒故縱」的策略。
27. 調虎離山
28. 先發制人
兵法云「兵貴神速」作戰時誰的軍隊速度快，搶得先發制人的有利的地位，誰就佔上風，就會贏得勝利。
29. 空城計
空城計有兩種情況，一是故佈疑陣困惑對方，使己方渡過危機；另一種是有計劃佈局，誘敵深入後與予包圍殲滅。老年的趙雲，用此計嚇跑曹軍；孔明亦用此計嚇跑司馬懿。
30. 瞞天過海
諸葛亮五出祁山時，因軍中缺糧，只得以瞞天過海之計裝神退敵，使魏兵誤以為真有鬼神而不顧防守麥田，瞞天過海是兵法中以假示真策略，製造令人堅信不疑的假象隱瞞自己真正意圖。
31. 圍魏救趙
諸葛亮三出祁山，以王平、張翼引魏兵決戰，當王、張兩將危急並不救援反而另派姜維、廖化直接攻擊司馬懿大本營，如此不但解決危機還大獲全勝。
32. 拋磚引玉
蜀軍六出祁山，蜀魏對壘司馬懿固守不戰，諸葛亮以流馬騙的魏軍糧萬石，分散營寨讓軍隊屯兵種田示弱，再虛搭窩棚誘敵，險燒死司馬父子三人於上方谷。
33. 借屍還魂
諸葛亮病死五丈原，為使部隊安全撤回蜀漢，不得不製造木雕像驚走多疑的司馬懿，發揮了借屍還魂的效果。
34. 扮豬吃虎
司馬懿與曹爽同時爭權持政，司馬懿為奪政權，以十年光陰等待曹爽自以為大權在握高枕無憂時，奪回兵權。
35. 聲東擊西
司馬昭以此計大敗蜀軍，司馬昭命各州積極製造戰船，表面上看似進攻東吳暗地裡卻派鐘會、鄧艾集結大軍秘密做進攻西蜀的準備，不久果然直搗蜀漢大敗蜀軍。
36. 走為上策
諸葛亮初任劉備軍師，曹操趁其羽翼為豐先行戮滅，劉備兵力薄弱，硬碰必定自取滅亡，只能走為上策。
轉載自: http://3kingdoms.globalsoho.com/other/36iq2.htm
Saturday, September 29, 2012
三國謀略 - 三十六計 (1)
1. 假途伐虢
周瑜屢向劉備索回荊州未果，周瑜便定計，以幫劉備攻打西川之名，行實際進兵荊州之計，周瑜告知劉備屆時請出城接應錢糧和勞軍，實欲活捉劉備直取荊州。
2. 連環計
王允為了要除去驕橫弄權的董卓，便以觀貌似天仙的貂蟬許配呂布再送給董卓，製造義父義子間的敵視，促使呂布殺董卓。
3. 美人計
王允藉歌妓貂蟬之手除去董卓，周瑜也利用美人計想騙劉備換荊州，遂將孫權之妹許配劉備卻及中劉備的美男計，真是賠了夫人又折兵。
4. 借刀殺人
5. 落井下石
曹丕為繼承曹操霸業，不得不對其胞弟曹植展開落井下石之計，不但向曹操告密曹植缺失，且誤陷曹植使其酒醉延誤行軍時程，而達到獲得嗣位的目的。
6. 金蟬脫殼
劉備曾運用此計擺脫曹操的控制，讓他領兵討伐袁紹，不但擺脫曹操的控制，還增加了自己的兵力。
7. 招降納叛
當關羽被圍困下邳逼到絕處，曹操為將關羽納為己用，格外厚待，三日一小宴，五日一大宴，不惜成本，但是曹操仍失去關羽。
8. 上屋抽梯
關將卞喜和太守王植曾對關羽採「上屋抽梯」之計，兩人都先穩住關羽，提供住宿，使關羽失去戒心再下手擊殺和殺死關羽，可惜兩次都被人通風報信而逃過一劫。
9. 以逸代勞
「軍事以近代遠，以逸代勞」。處理某些事效率愈快愈好，某些事則要沉著冷靜，才不致亂了方寸而一敗塗地。孔明北伐時，司馬懿自知不敵，所以就是用這一招，掛一免戰牌在軍營外，以期蜀軍糧草一斷，就自然退兵
10. 隔岸觀火
11. 偷樑換柱
12. 製造輿論
13. 利用天時
14. 明知故眜
在曹操煮酒論英雄一事中，曹操原想用計指劉備是當時能與他相稱英雄的人，試探劉備有沒有稱霸之心，幸得劉備機警用此計逢凶化吉。
15. 混水摸魚
16. 苦肉計
17. 趁火打劫
18. 過河拆橋
「為達目的，不擇手段」兵法上為何要過河拆橋？因為不拆掉這座橋，將來可能對己不利，一旦危及到自身生命安全或造成利益衝突，英雄們也不得不忘恩負義過河拆橋。留意，長板坡大轍退，張飛拆橋，並不算此計。
轉載自: http://3kingdoms.globalsoho.com/other/36iq1.htm
周瑜屢向劉備索回荊州未果，周瑜便定計，以幫劉備攻打西川之名，行實際進兵荊州之計，周瑜告知劉備屆時請出城接應錢糧和勞軍，實欲活捉劉備直取荊州。
2. 連環計
王允為了要除去驕橫弄權的董卓，便以觀貌似天仙的貂蟬許配呂布再送給董卓，製造義父義子間的敵視，促使呂布殺董卓。
3. 美人計
王允藉歌妓貂蟬之手除去董卓，周瑜也利用美人計想騙劉備換荊州，遂將孫權之妹許配劉備卻及中劉備的美男計，真是賠了夫人又折兵。
4. 借刀殺人
5. 落井下石
曹丕為繼承曹操霸業，不得不對其胞弟曹植展開落井下石之計，不但向曹操告密曹植缺失，且誤陷曹植使其酒醉延誤行軍時程，而達到獲得嗣位的目的。
6. 金蟬脫殼
劉備曾運用此計擺脫曹操的控制，讓他領兵討伐袁紹，不但擺脫曹操的控制，還增加了自己的兵力。
7. 招降納叛
當關羽被圍困下邳逼到絕處，曹操為將關羽納為己用，格外厚待，三日一小宴，五日一大宴，不惜成本，但是曹操仍失去關羽。
8. 上屋抽梯
關將卞喜和太守王植曾對關羽採「上屋抽梯」之計，兩人都先穩住關羽，提供住宿，使關羽失去戒心再下手擊殺和殺死關羽，可惜兩次都被人通風報信而逃過一劫。
9. 以逸代勞
「軍事以近代遠，以逸代勞」。處理某些事效率愈快愈好，某些事則要沉著冷靜，才不致亂了方寸而一敗塗地。孔明北伐時，司馬懿自知不敵，所以就是用這一招，掛一免戰牌在軍營外，以期蜀軍糧草一斷，就自然退兵
10. 隔岸觀火
11. 偷樑換柱
12. 製造輿論
13. 利用天時
14. 明知故眜
在曹操煮酒論英雄一事中，曹操原想用計指劉備是當時能與他相稱英雄的人，試探劉備有沒有稱霸之心，幸得劉備機警用此計逢凶化吉。
15. 混水摸魚
16. 苦肉計
17. 趁火打劫
18. 過河拆橋
「為達目的，不擇手段」兵法上為何要過河拆橋？因為不拆掉這座橋，將來可能對己不利，一旦危及到自身生命安全或造成利益衝突，英雄們也不得不忘恩負義過河拆橋。留意，長板坡大轍退，張飛拆橋，並不算此計。
轉載自: http://3kingdoms.globalsoho.com/other/36iq1.htm
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