[Music] Teresa Carpio -- If

Teresa Carpio

1. Teresa Carpio ("杜麗莎") was born in Hong Kong in 1956 to a Filipino father and a Hong Kong Chinese mother.

Her father Fernando Carpio was a noted jazz drummer in Hong Kong in the 1960s and 1970s.

Although she did well academically in elementary school, Teresa Carpio did not attend secondary school because her family was poor.

She started singing in her early teens to help out with family finances.

Teresa Carpio became a top Hong Kong singer in the 1960s and 1970s but she sang mainly English songs.

Terea did not began singing Cantopop until the 1980s.

Teresa has been teaching music since the 1990s and she is the singing teacher of many noted Cantopop singers.


2. If ("假如") is one of the signature songs of Teresa Carpio and the song came out in 1983.

"If" is the Cantonese version of the Mandarin song "Yes or Nay?” ("是否") sang by Julie Su.

I have blogged "Yes or Nay?” back in 2012:

http://culture-in-criticism.blogspot.ca/2012/01/music-julie-su-yes-or-nay.html

Teresa Carpio of Hong Kong and Julie Su of Taiwan are very good singers of the same calibre.

After listening to the many versions of "If" in YouTube, I have come to the conclusion that she completely defines this song and however she sings this song is an "official" version of the song.

This song is as touching as I first listened to it some 30 odd years ago.


3. Teresa Carpio in a Chinese TV show in 2017:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCMHKMmBCxQ

Isn't her voice amazing at 61 years old?

The last part of the video is a stanza from the original Mandarin "Yes or Nay?” .


4. The same video as "3" above with Jane Zhang of China singing a version of "Yes or Nay?” after Teresa:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7p-yhwpihw


5. Teresa Carpio singing in a concert in 2017 celebrating the works of the lyricist Andrew Lam, whom wrote the lyrics for this song.

First of two songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvxyu6nRcaE

and another one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsL2QIKpJpY


6. Teresa Carpio in a charity concert in 2015.

The second song starting at the 1:40 minutes mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovVIyBtxPFg


7. Teresa Caprio in a joint concert with Alan Tam in 2012.

Teresa sang a song of Alan's and he in turn sang "If".

Second of two songs starting at the 2:35 minutes mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h80vxZIYaYE


8. Teresa Carpio in a joint concert with George Lam in 2007:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOTYWCeiMzg


9. Teresa Carpio appearing as a guest in a concert by her student Sammi Cheng in 2004:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqdnSlpAbfA


10. Teresa Carpio and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 2003 (?):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qhsS6IBljs


11. A CD from 1988:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BLhBTCZe_k


12. A TV music video from 1984:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ixXhuR6nbA


13. Others:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6ImIarg688

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm0U8cryWnA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObzWPGguAmI


14. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:

假如 -- 杜麗莎

作詞：林敏聰
作曲：羅大佑
編曲：Nathan Wang

假如   真的要我跟你分別
假如   真的要說分手
請求   把我愉快記憶都洗去
才能免我一生也在默默痛苦

假如   真的要我跟你分別
請求   不要讓我知道
假如   乾了淚水中的雙眼
可否   不再剩下我不顧

只求   再度尋獲你曾在心頭
留低的愛   跟那情深的維護
請容   我在期望有日在將來
能讓你會明白我仍在痛苦

假如   不許我再跟你生活
世上   不必存著有我
假如   天意讓我此生得不到你
不必   需要有天意

只求   再度尋獲你曾在心頭
燃燒的愛   跟那情深的維護
請容   我在期望有日在將來
能讓你會明白我仍在痛苦

假如   不許我再跟你生活
世上   不必存著有我
假如   天意讓我此生得不到你
不必   需要有天意


15. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:

假如 -- 杜丽莎

作词：林敏聪
作曲：罗大佑
编曲：Nathan Wang

假如   真的要我跟你分别
假如   真的要说分手
请求   把我愉快记忆都洗去
才能免我一生也在默默痛苦

假如   真的要我跟你分别
请求   不要让我知道
假如   干了泪水中的双眼
可否   不再剩下我不顾

只求   再度寻获你曾在心头
留低的爱   跟那情深的维护
请容   我在期望有日在将来
能让你会明白我仍在痛苦

假如   不许我再跟你生活
世上   不必存着有我
假如   天意让我此生得不到你
不必   需要有天意

只求   再度寻获你曾在心头
燃烧的爱   跟那情深的维护
请容   我在期望有日在将来
能让你会明白我仍在痛苦

假如   不许我再跟你生活
世上   不必存着有我
假如   天意让我此生得不到你
不必   需要有天意


16. Names, Words and Phrases

Alan Tam (Traditional Chinese: 譚詠麟; Simplified Chinese: 谭咏麟).

Andrew Lam (Traditional: 林敏驄; Simplified: 林敏骢).

George Lam (Traditional: 林子祥; Simplified: 林子祥).

Jane Zhang (Traditional: 張靚穎; Simplified: 张靓颖).

Julie Su (Traditional: 蘇芮; Simplified: 苏芮).

Sammi Cheng (Traditional: 鄭秀文; Simplified: 郑秀文).

Teresa Carpio (Traditional: 杜麗莎; Simplified: 杜丽莎).


References:

"Teresa Carpio", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Carpio
(accessed 2017-10-30).

"杜麗莎", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%9D%9C%E9%BA%97%E8%8E%8E
(accessed 2017-10-30).

"杜麗莎", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%9C%E9%BA%97%E8%8E%8E
(accessed 2017-10-30).

End.

[Opinion] In Memory of Huang Yi (1952 - 2017)

Huang Yi (1952 - 2017)

In Memory of

Huang Yi

1952 to 2017

1. ("Huang Yi (author)", Wikipedia):

Wong Cho-keung (15 March 1952 – 5 April 2017), better known by his pen name Huang Yi or Huang An, was a Hong Kong writer of wuxia and science fiction novels. He graduated from the Department of Fine Arts of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and once worked as the Assistant Chairperson of Hong Kong Museum of Art.

In the 1990s, after its golden age, wuxia fiction was increasingly under attack by the general public and was losing its previous aura. However, the emergence of Huang infused new life into the wuxia genre.

From Fuyu Fanyun (Chinese: 覆雨翻雲) to Xun Qin Ji (Chinese: 尋秦記) and Datang Shuanglong Zhuan (Chinese: 大唐雙龍傳), Huang has combined science fiction with traditional Chinese culture (metaphysics, philosophy, etc.) to create a new style of work. Currently, his popularity has resulted in some people describing this phenomenon as flurry of Huang sweeping through China.

Upon conclusion of his longest novel, Datang Shuanglong Zhuan, Huang has commented that he would like to follow in the footstep of Louis Cha and to revise and improve his released novels.

There are some Hong Kong television series adapted from Huang's novels, such as A Step Into The Past (2001), Twin of Brothers (2004) and Lethal Weapons of Love and Passion (2006).

Yi died in Hong Kong on 5 April 2017 from a stroke while in hospital at the age of 65.


2. I was an avid reader of wuxia fictions when in secondary school in Vancouver in the 1970s.

("Wuxia", Wikipedia): "Wuxia (武俠, IPA: [ù.ɕjǎ]), which literally means 'martial heroes', is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms such as Chinese opera, manhua, films, television series and video games. It forms part of popular culture in many Chinese-speaking communities around the world."

After graduation, I did not have the time to read as many fictions and novels as I like but still read the occasional wuxia novels.

The three major writers of Chinese wuxia novels from the late 1950s to the 1980s were Jin Yong ("金庸"; b.1924), Liang Yusheng ("梁羽生"; 1926 – 2009), and Gu Long ("古龍"; 1938 – 1985).

After the big three, both in time and influence, the other two major writers of Chinese wuxia novels are the Hong Kong-based Malaysian Chinese Woon Swee Oan ("溫瑞安"; b.1954) and Huang Yi ("黃易"; 1952 – 2017) of Hong Kong.

I have sampled the writings of both Woon Swee Oan and Huang Yi.

Of the two, I have enjoyed the writings of Huang Yi much more.

Huang Yi early writings are science fictions, which I believe I have read them all.

Huang Yi later writings are in the wuxia genre and many believe he has broken new grounds in the genre.

I worked in Hong Kong from the mid 1990s to 2000 and Huang Yi was writing Datang Shuanglong Zhuan (Chinese: 大唐雙龍傳) at the time.

Front and Back Cover of  Volume 31 of Datang Shuanglong Zhuan

 

 Title Page of Volume 31 of Datang Shuanglong Zhuan

 

 Copyright Page of Volume 31 of Datang Shuanglong Zhuan

Huang Yi published Datang Shuanglong Zhuan as he wrote it and he published one volume per month for a total of 63 volumes.

I dutifully went to the bookstore on the day of the month Datang Shuanglong Zhuan was published and bought a volume when it was fresh off the press.


References:

"Huang Yi (author)",  Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huang_Yi_(author)
(accessed 2017-09-24).

"Wuxia", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuxia
(accessed 2017-09-24).

"黃易 (香港)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%BB%84%E6%98%93_(%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF)
(accessed 2017-09-24).

End.

[Music] Theme Song of The Legend of the Condor Heroes (1983) -- Roman Tam and Jenny Tseng

Poster for The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2017)

Yang Xuwen (male) and Li Yitong (female)

Meng Ziyi (female) and Chen Xingxu (male)

Roman Tam

 Jenny Tseng

1. I have watched the first 12 of the 52 episodes of the Chinese TV drama "The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2017)" and am very impressed by the beauty of the camera works.

It is a visual experience.

"The Legend of the Condor Heroes" ("射鵰英雄傳") is a Chinese novel by Louis Cha and this novel has been adapted into movies 6 times and into TV series 7 times.

In terms of TV series, the 1983 production by Hong Kong's TVB is the gold standard by which other TV series are compared.

The 2017 TV series is a remake of the 1983 Hong Kong TVB production.

I have watched the 1983 Hong Kong TV series and like what I have watched so far of this 2017 remake; I will probably finish watching the rest of it.


2. ("The Legend of the Condor Heroes", Wikipedia):

"The Legend of the Condor Heroes is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the first part of the Condor Trilogy and is followed by The Return of the Condor Heroes and The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. It was first serialised between 1 January 1957 and 19 May 1959 in Hong Kong Commercial Daily. Jin Yong revised the novel twice, first in the 1970s and later in the 2000s. The English title is a mistranslation since both species of the condor, the Andean condor and Californian condor, are not native to China. A more accurate translation is Story of the Eagle Shooting Hero."


3. ("The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2017 TV series)", Wikipedia):

"The Legend of the Condor Heroes is a Chinese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title and a remake of the 1983 Hong Kong television series based on the same novel. The series was directed by Jeffrey Chiang and starred Yang Xuwen, Li Yitong, Chen Xingxu and Meng Ziyi in the lead roles. It started airing on Dragon TV in mainland China on 9 January 2017, and on TVB Jade in Hong Kong on 8 May 2017."


4. Since it is a remake of the 1983 TV series, the 2017 series also uses the theme song of the 1983 original as its opening and ending theme songs.

The 1983 series is produced for the Cantonese speaking Hong Kong market and the 2017 remake is produced for the Putonghua speaking China market and because the lyrics are written for Cantonese pronunciation, the song will not sound right if sung in Putonghua.

The producers for the 2017 TV series appropriately use an instrumental version of the song as the opening and ending theme songs; but I wish the opening and ending theme songs are longer like the original.


5. The name of the 1983 theme song in Chinese is "鐵血丹心".

"鐵" : Iron.

"血" : Blood.

"丹" : Red.

"心" : Heart.

The phrase "鐵血丹心" symbolizes patriotism and is an allusion to the background of the novel "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" which is set against the conflicts between the Sung dynasty (Chinese), Jin dynasty (Jurchen), and the Mongols.

This song is a duet by Roman Tam and Jenny Tseng.


6. The 2017 instrumental version of the song followed by the 1983 Cantonese original:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFMT3tFiYsM

The video is consisted of scenes from the 2017 TV series.


7. The 1983 Cantonese original with pictures from the 1983 TV series:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDGu0uYPunc

The lyrics sung in Putonghua with videos from the 2017 TV series:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKAfjuMv6qg

Since Cantonese and Putonghua are pronounced differently and the lyrics written for Cantonese, the Putonghua version of the song does not sound right.


8. The 1983 Cantonese original:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAh7nmvcXMA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QDjUvbXkoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AprlDAOo-xk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfKHpj02RE4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLhtVexM9SA

and many more in YouTube.


9. The 2017 instrumental version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPU8dUHu-T8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkT5B9zstW8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_9ve9C-fdA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBnn9fsQgG0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATPzUQ_NDho

and many more in YouTube.


10. Other instrumentals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8mAgfQHPLA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uypb6IulyEs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGD4xAK98Mw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMIFxac0_yY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNSP4f2yZuU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhA01KpdQK4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEltThzXD8E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ2eDOgvzqE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q4tSBy7rKw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UerKYkvZsVk

and many more in YouTube.


11. Three other songs from the 2017 TV series:

The Soul of Swords ("剑魂") by Well Lee:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiy7PJo2dqA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ce6JGM0MsU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1_cxSau4h8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9PI5zHRQrQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJBWq-vU50A


Whom Have You Loved ("爱过谁") by Shang Wenjie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEhc9A5QhUc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGA9MnjEwzc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPAwmSNHNQQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfs1taBOlyA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5trY_jjcGNY


Under the Heaven ("江湖天下") by Silence Wong:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58xvTOtXqLk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t5u-Ns9X78

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq6wYks5Q-4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5hMbnKqts0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abmlnsYKjHQ


12. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:

鐵血丹心 -- 羅文 & 甄妮

作曲：顧嘉輝
作詞：鄧偉雄
編曲：顧嘉輝

女：依稀往夢似曾見   心內波瀾現
男：拋開世事斷愁怨
合：相伴到天邊

* 男：逐草四方沙漠蒼茫   那懼雪霜撲面
女：冷風吹   天蒼蒼   籐樹相連

# 男：射鵰引弓塞外奔馳   笑傲此生無厭倦
女：猛風沙   野茫茫   籐樹兩纏綿

@ 男：天蒼蒼   野茫茫   萬般變幻
女：應知愛意是流水   斬不斷理還亂

& 合：身經百劫也在心間   恩義兩難斷

Repeat *, #, @, &, &


13. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:

铁血丹心 -- 罗文 & 甄妮

作曲：顾嘉辉
作词：邓伟雄
编曲：顾嘉辉

女：依稀往梦似曾见   心内波澜现
男：抛开世事断愁怨
合：相伴到天边

* 男：逐草四方沙漠苍茫   那惧雪霜扑面
女：冷风吹   天苍苍   藤树相连

# 男：射雕引弓塞外奔驰   笑傲此生无厌倦
女：猛风沙   野茫茫   藤树两缠绵

@ 男：天苍苍   野茫茫   万般变幻
女：应知爱意是流水   斩不断理还乱

& 合：身经百劫也在心间   恩义两难断

Repeat *, #, @, &, &


14. Names, Words and Phrases:

Chen Xingxu (Traditional Chinese: 陳星旭; Simplified Chinese: 陈星旭).

Dragon TV (Traditional: 東方衛視; Simplified: 东方卫视).

Jeffrey Chiang (Traditional: 蔣家駿; Simplified: 蒋家骏).

Jenny Tseng (Traditional: 甄妮; Simplified: 甄妮).

Jin Dynasty (Traditional: 金朝; Simplified: 金朝).

Jin Yong (Traditional: 金庸; Simplified: 金庸).

Jurchen (Traditional: 女真; Simplified: 女真).

Li Yitong (Traditional: 李一桐; Simplified: 李一桐).

Louis Cha (Traditional: 查良鏞; Simplified: 查良镛).

Meng Ziyi (Traditional: 孟子義; Simplified: 孟子义).

Mongols (Traditional: 蒙古; Simplified: 蒙古).

Roman Tam (Traditional: 羅文; Simplified: 罗文).

Shang Wenjie (Traditional: 尚雯婕; Simplified: 尚雯婕).

Silence Wong (Traditional: 汪蘇瀧; Simplified: 汪苏泷).

Sung Dynasty (Traditional: 宋朝; Simplified: 宋朝).

The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (Traditional: 倚天屠龍記; Simplified: 倚天屠龙记).

The Return of the Condor Heroes (Traditional: 神鵰俠侶; Simplified: 神雕侠侣).

TVB Jade (Traditional: TVB 翡翠台; Simplified: TVB 翡翠台).

Well Lee (Traditional: 李煒; Simplified: 李炜).

Wuxia novel (Traditional: 武俠小說; Simplified: 武侠小说).

Yang Xuwen (Traditional: 楊旭文; Simplified: 杨旭文).


References:

"The Legend of the Condor Heroes", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_the_Condor_Heroes
(accessed 2017-05-31).

"The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2017 TV series)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_the_Condor_Heroes_(2017_TV_series)
(accessed 2017-05-31).

"射鵰英雄傳 (2017年電視劇)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%B0%84%E9%9B%95%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E4%BC%A0_(2017%E5%B9%B4%E7%94%B5%E8%A7%86%E5%89%A7)
(accessed 2017-05-31).

End.

[Music] Adult's Law -- Doughnuts Hole

Poster for Quartet ("カルテット") (2017)

1. Adult's Law (Japanese: おとなの掟) (Otona no Okite) is the theme song of the Japanese TV drama Quartet ("カルテット") (2017).

This 10 episodes TV drama aired weekly in Japan between January 17, 2017 and March 21, 2017.

The four main characters formed a string quartet in the TV drama called "Doughnuts Hole" and the theme song is credited to Doughnuts Hole.


2. There are more Asian TV dramas produced each year than I can possibly watched and choosing what to watch is often a hit or miss affair.

I sometimes skim the first two episodes of a TV drama to see if I like it enough to watch the rest; other times I look at the user ratings on different websites to look for what to watch.

In the case of Quartet (2017), it was by word of mouth: One of my younger brothers recommended this TV drama to me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this TV drama.

Not only is one of the lead actresses, Takako Matsu, one of my favourite Japanese actresses, the script of this drama is very sophisticated.

When I watched the first episode for the first time, I knew I was missing some of the storylines.

I have to watch the first episode a second time to know what was going on.

As a matter of fact, I have watched the first episode a third and fourth time for the pure enjoyment of it.

And the rest of Quartet (2017) did not disappoint either.


3. The four actors that formed the string quartet Doughnuts Hole are:

Takako Matsu (松 たか子) (as Maki Maki);

Ryuhei Matsuda (松田 龍平) (as Tsukasa Beppu);

Hikari Mitsushima (満島ひかり) (as Suzume Sebuki);

Issei Takahashi (高橋 一生) (as Yutaka Iemori).


4. Adult's Law ("おとなの掟") (Otona no Okite) by Doughnuts Hole:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwg6ILsn8cI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axOgPDYWOzY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz7X_NtsuFg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbfAwJwNWXE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q7l0B4jZQQ


5. Other covers of Adult's Law: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6KFSiIXLeo
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TAXt7QQ7tg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIqXiOuCwd8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8STVBxEuiXY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_QYcE3VBn8


References:

"Quartet (TV Series)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartet_(TV_Series)
(accessed 2017-05-16).

"Quartet (2017)", DramaWiki,
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Quartet_(2017)
(accessed 2017-05-16).

End.

[Quotation] Alvin Plantinga -- Are All Truth Claims Interpretations Only?

Alvin Plantinga

1. Since the encounter with Logical Positivism in Twentieth Century Western philosophy, testing a truth claim to see if it is self-referentially coherent has become standard fare for a beginning philosophy student.

("Logical positivism", Wikipedia): "Logical positivism and logical empiricism, which together formed neopositivism, was a movement in Western philosophy whose central thesis was verificationism, a theory of knowledge which asserted that only statements verifiable through empirical observation are cognitively meaningful."

Attempting to use science to rule out metaphysics and religion as meaningless, the logical positivists introduced the Verification Principle.

("Verificationism", Wikipedia):

"Verificationism, also known as the verification principle or the verifiability criterion of meaning, is the philosophical doctrine that only statements that are empirically verifiable (i.e. verifiable through the senses) are cognitively meaningful, or else they are truths of logic (tautologies)."

"Verificationism thus rejects as cognitively 'meaningless' statements specific to entire fields such as metaphysics, theology, ethics and aesthetics. Such statements may be meaningful in influencing emotions or behavior, but not in terms of truth value, information or factual content. Verificationism was a central thesis of logical positivism, a movement in analytic philosophy that emerged in the 1920s by the efforts of a group of philosophers who sought to unify philosophy and science under a common naturalistic theory of knowledge."

"The verifiability criterion underwent various revisions throughout the 1920s to 1950s, but, by the 1960s, was deemed to be irreparably untenable. Its abandonment signaled the end of the entire movement launched by logical positivism."

The reason why the verification principle is irreparably untenable is simple: It suffered self-referential problems.

Verification Principle: Only statements that are empirically verifiable (i.e. verifiable through the senses) are cognitively meaningful, or else they are truths of logic (tautologies).

If we apply the Verification Principle to itself, we find that by its own standard the Verification Principle is cognitively meaningless.

The Verification Principle itself is not something that can be empirically verifiable through the senses and it is also not a truth of logic, so by its own criterion it is cognitively meaningless.

2. Many claims also suffered self-referential problems.

One such is a version of relativism which claims that there are no truths: all truth claims are interpretations only.

In the following brief quotation, which is part of a book review, Alvin Plantinga deftly disposes of this relativist claim.

(Plantinga 1987, 22):

"There is much to be said about this (most of it not flattering), but I won't take the time to say it. The basic idea here seems to be the notion, familiar in some varieties of continental philosophy, that whatever we think or believe is only a hermeneusis or interpretation, to which there are equally satisfactory alternatives. No matter what you believe on any important matter, there are alternatives to your belief that are quite as valid and acceptable. Indeed, for any belief you hold, its denial will be just as valid or satisfactory as it is."

"Of course if this is true, then Christianity, despite Sheehan's confident pronouncements, is as good an interpretation as any other. Thus Sheehan winds up (p.223) having to concede that Christianity is as acceptable an interpretation or hermeneusis as any other, and, indeed, as true as any other -- Sheehan's own interpretation, for example. (How we are to understand that is a bit puzzling, since Christianity and what Sheehan proposes are clearly inconsistent; but then Sheehan neither says nor suggests that ordinary logic is part of his interpretation.) Self-referential problems loom here. The fundamental claim seems to be that all we can ever have are equally acceptable if conflicting interpretations. But then, of course, if this claim is true, then it is itself just one more interpretation, and it is no better or closer to the truth than alternatives -- for example, its denial. If all is interpretation, then this idea itself has no more to be said for it than the contrary idea that some interpretations are vastly preferable and vastly closer to the truth than others. If all is interpretation to which there are equally satisfactory alternatives, then this very claim is an interpretation to which there are equally satisfactory alternatives: one can take it or leave it. As for me and my house, I think we'll leave it."

References:

"Logical positivism", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_positivism
(accessed 2017-05-12).

"Verificationism", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verificationism
(accessed 2017-05-12).

Plantinga, Alvin. 1987. "Sheehan's Shenanigans: How theology becomes tomfoolery". The Reformed Journal 37, no.4 (April): 19-25.

End.

[Music] Tempting Heart -- Shino Lin

Poster for Tempting Heart (1999)
 

Shino Lin

1. "Tempting Heart" ("心動") is the theme song of a 1999 Hong Kong movie of the same name.

The movie is directed by Sylvia Chang and stars Takeshi Kaneshiro, Gigi Leung and Karen Mok.

The music is composed and arranged by Kay Huang of Taiwan and the lyrics are by Albert Leung of Hong Kong.

The song is sung in Mandarin.

The movie and the song "Tempting Heart" (1999) were made by some of the best talents from Hong Kong and Taiwan of the time.

A more literal translation of "心動" would be "throbbing heart" or "fluttering heart".


2. I have known the song "Tempting Heart" for some time but I am not familiar with the original singer Shino Lin of Taiwan.

Reading her entry in Chinese Wikipedia makes me realized that Shino Lin did not had an easy life.

Shino Lin's parents divorced when she was young and she started working as a lounge singer in 1990 when she was only 16 years old.

The first four years of her lounge singing was in a restaurant in Japan where she took on the Japanese name "Shino".

After returning to Taiwan, Shino continued to sing in various pubs.

Shino Lin worked hard for many years and her first album come out in 1998 which was very well received.

Ironically, she won as "Best New Comer" in a 1999 Taiwanese music award.

Shino Lin music career has many ups and downs in the last twenty years due in part to her suffering from bipolar disorder.

A tragic event happened in 2007 when Shino Lin caused the death of a nurse while DUI.

Shino became a Christian not too long after this event.


3. There are a few notable observations about both the movie and the theme song:

(a) Sylvia Chang, the director and also being one of the script writers and actors, said there were some autobiographical elements of herself in the script.

(b) Beside the original singer Shino Lin, many people associated with the movie are also singers themselves: Sylvia Chang (Director), Kay Huang (Composer), Gigi Leung (female lead), and Karen Mok (another lead actor).

(c) This song has been covered by many singers from Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China.

Music is indeed something that transcends political differences.

(d) This Song is susceptible to many interpretations.

I like many of the cover versions in YouTube, even ones with very distinct interpretation.

But if I have to choose an outstanding interpretation from the many good ones, it is probably the cover by Kit Chan.


4. "Tempting Heart" by its original singer Shino Lin (Taiwan):

Music Video with scenes from the movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAXmU300DRc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAUJFmZRJLA

The woman appearing between the 00:30 and 1:00 minute marks is Sylvia Chang, the Director of the movie "Tempting Heart".


Others:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LbIyGUkKWk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR1FH5pSRJ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWmwASpn1XQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hMsztMXqps



5. Covers by Kit Chan (Singapore):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVsRuLg1TYA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PMmLKspe_s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKDkWjKrNos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TomUDn0EUkQ

First of two songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX-VoZms5jo

and many more in YouTube.


6. Cover by the director of "Tempting Heart" Sylvia Chang (Taiwan):

Sylvia Chang duets with Stella Chang in a 2015 concert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYD1yW_WOmo


7. Covers by the composer of "Tempting Heart" Kay Huang (Taiwan):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K5OnQS1ykI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LkvbVKQczE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hjzeMQrkjU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbqpXSzrL8g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0qNluE60os


8. Covers by the lead actress of "Tempting Heart" Gigi Leung (Hong Kong):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUX6PYPYCkA

Second of two songs starting at the the 2:38 minutes mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3bchpfSh8s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOwoH89KjLQ


9. Cover by an actor in "Tempting Heart" William So (Hong Kong):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXwEZ8waUVg


10. Covers by Hins Cheung (Hong Kong):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bugSzVcMGbA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxvZWYV687c


11. Covers by A-Lin (Taiwan):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgwoA5ukooo

Starting at the 1:25 minutes mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaJ1hPWtSG8


12. Cover by Christine Fan (Chinese American) and Wang Qiwei (mainland Chinese):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VeGkz3vK0U


13. Cover by Jam Hsiao (Taiwan) (male) and Hong Jingjing (mainland Chinese) (female):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdsccMg7Y6g


14. Covers by Shuhei Nagasawa (Japanese):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uems9cFyvPE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkJrYlihSlU

Nagasawa's mother is Chinese.


15. Cover by LaLa Hsu (Taiwan) and Nana Liu (Taiwan):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bHSC_pqPKA


16. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


心動 -- 林曉培

作詞：林夕
作曲：黃韻玲

有多久沒見你   以為你在哪裡
原來就住在我心底   陪伴著我的呼吸
有多遠的距離   以為聞不到你氣息
誰知道你背影這麼長   回頭就看到你

* 過去讓它過去   來不及
從頭喜歡你   白雲纏繞著藍天
哦
如果不能夠永遠走在一起
也至少給我們懷念的勇氣   擁抱的權利
好讓你明白   我心動的痕跡

Repeat *

總是想再見你   還試著打探你消息
原來你就住在我的身體   守護我的回憶


17. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


心动 -- 林晓培

作词：林夕
作曲：黄韵玲

有多久没见你   以为你在哪里
原来就住在我心底   陪伴着我的呼吸
有多远的距离   以为闻不到你气息
谁知道你背影这么长   回头就看到你

* 过去让它过去   来不及
从头喜欢你   白云缠绕着蓝天
哦
如果不能够永远走在一起
也至少给我们怀念的勇气   拥抱的权利
好让你明白   我心动的痕迹

Repeat *

总是想再见你   还试着打探你消息
原来你就住在我的身体   守护我的回忆


18. Names, Words and Phrases:

A-Lin (Traditional Chinese: 黃麗玲; Simplified Chinese: 黄丽玲).

Albert Leung (Traditional: 林夕; Simplified: 林夕).

Christine Fan (Traditional: 范瑋琪; Simplified: 范玮琪).

Gigi Leung (Traditional: 梁詠琪; Simplified: 梁咏琪).

Hins Cheung (Traditional: 張敬軒; Simplified: 张敬轩).

Hong Jingjing (Traditional: 洪晶晶; Simplified: 洪晶晶).

Jam Hsiao (Traditional: 蕭敬騰; Simplified: 萧敬腾).

Karen Mok (Traditional: 莫文蔚; Simplified: 莫文蔚).

Kay Huang (Traditional: 黃韻玲; Simplified: 黄韵玲).

Kit Chan (Traditional: 陳潔儀; Simplified: 陈洁仪).

LaLa Hsu (Traditional: 徐佳瑩; Simplified: 徐佳莹).

Nana Liu (Traditional: 劉若英; Simplified: 刘若英).

Shino Lin (Traditional: 林曉培; Simplified: 林晓培).

Shuhei Nagasawa (Traditional: 長澤秀平; Simplified: 长泽秀平).

Stella Chang (Traditional: 張清芳; Simplified: 张清芳).

Sylvia Chang (Traditional: 張艾嘉; Simplified: 张艾嘉).

Takeshi Kaneshiro (Traditional: 金城武; Simplified: 金城武).

Wang Qiwei (Traditional: 王琪瑋; Simplified: 王琪玮).

William So (Traditional: 蘇永康; Simplified: 苏永康).


References:

"Shino Lin", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shino_Lin
(accessed 2017-02-28).

"心動", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%BF%83%E5%8B%95
(accessed 2017-02-28).

"林曉培", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%9E%97%E6%9B%89%E5%9F%B9
(accessed 2017-02-28).

End.

[Opinion] J-Drama -- Ten Women in Darkness (2016)

Ten Women in Darkness (2016)

1. Of the Asian TV dramas that I have watched recently, I quite enjoy the Japanese drama Ten Women in Darkness ("黒い十人の女") ("Kuroi 10 nin no Onna") (2016).

This 10 episodes drama was first aired weekly in Japan from September 29, 2016 to December 2, 2016.

The drama is based on a script that was made into a movie in 1961, a one episode TV drama in 2002, and a theater production in 2011.

This rather light-hearted TV drama is about how the wife and nine lovers of a middle-aged TV producer together plotted to murder him in order to escape the relationship trap they were in.

By a happy coincidence, the actor that played the middle-aged TV producer (船越 英一郎) is the son of the actor that played the same character in the 1961 movie (船越英二).


2. In recent years, among Asian TV dramas, I have enjoyed watching Japanese TV dramas the most.

This is because of the quality of their scripts.

I did not have any expectations about how good or bad it was going to be when I chanced upon Ten Women in Darkness (2016), but then I was attracted by its story line.

At first, I thought it was just another melodrama about love and men / women relationships.

But I was taken by surprise by each new episodes as the wife and the nine lovers were introduced.

The wife and the nine lovers each has very distinct personalities that came through the acting.

I was totally taken by surprise as the wife and nine lovers developed into a victim's club and together they plotted to murder the husband.

There was a twist to the ending that maintain the light and comedic tone of the drama that I will not give away.

But as one of my brothers has observed about Japanese TV dramas, they almost always have a life lesson to them.

The morality of the life lesson in Japanese TV dramas makes them very attractive in a morally relativistic world.


Reference:

"黒い十人の女", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%BB%92%E3%81%84%E5%8D%81%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%AE%E5%A5%B3
(accessed 2017-01-13).

End.

[Opinion] A Conditional Promissory Note

Original: Thursday, January 12, 2017

Last updated: Friday, January 13, 2017


1. Sometimes fiction mimics reality and sometimes it is the other way around, reality mimics fiction.

As to the current Hong Kong Chief Executive Election for 2017, it is reality that mimics fiction.

I have been following the progress of the Hong Kong Chief Executive Election for 2017 with wide eye amazement.

If I am not mistaken, Xi Jinping and many participants in the 2017 Election are following the strategies as analyzed by the character Master Wu in episode 19 of the 1997 Chinese historical TV drama Yongzheng Dynasty.

The similarity or resemblance between fiction and reality is quite amazing.

If I am guessing right that soon-to-be former Financial Secretary John Tsang will become the next Hong Kong Chief Executive, then I will write another blog post detailing some of the parallels between the strategies as analyzed by Master Wu and the actual events for the 2017 Hong Kong Chief Executive Election.


2. For those who know putonghua, Master Wu's analysis for the succession to the throne happens between the 34:45 and 43:55 minute marks in the following YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXr35wgiksk


3. Names, Words and Phrases:

John Tsang (Traditional Chinese: 曾俊華; Simplified Chinese: 曾俊华).

Master Wu (Traditional: 鄔思道; Simplified: 邬思道).

Xi Jinping (Traditional: 習近平; Simplified: 习近平).

Yongzheng Dynasty (Traditional: 雍正王朝; Simplified: 雍正王朝).

 
References:

"Hong Kong Chief Executive election, 2017", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_Chief_Executive_election,_2017
(accessed 2017-01-12).

"鄔思道", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%84%94%E6%80%9D%E9%81%93
(accessed 2017-01-13).

"雍正王朝", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%9B%8D%E6%AD%A3%E7%8E%8B%E6%9C%9D
(accessed 2017-01-13).

End.

[Music] Vivian Lai -- Everyone Has a Dream

Vivian Lai

1. Vivian Lai won a local singing competition in 1989 when she was 16 years old and through it came to the notice of a music producer.

The following year she signed with BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group) and formally entered the Hong Kong music scene.

Vivian Lai subsequently changed management company and signed with PolyGram and became one of the "Seven Little Flowers of PolyGram".

(The other six "Little Flowers" are: Priscilla Chan, Vivian Chow, Shirley Kwan, Winnie Lau, Karen Tong, and Linda Wong.)

The song Everyone Has a Dream ("一人有一個夢想") came out in 1993 and was the peak of Vivian Lai's singing career.

After many years of courtship, Vivian Lai was married in 2002 to Ricky Tsang and she formally left Hong Kong music scene after marrying.

Vivian Lai and Ricky Tsang have a daughter and a son together.

Their marriage ended in divorce in 2014.

(Ricky Tsang is the third and youngest son of Tsang Hin-chi, the founder of Goldlion (Far East) Limited.)

(Vivian Lai has married into money so to speak.)

Vivian Lai started to sing and perform again in 2016.


2. From the August 24, 2016 Sing Tao Daily newspaper (BC Edition):

3. The front page of Ming Pao Sunday Supplement (August 28, 2016) (Western Canada Edition):

4. Vivian Lai singing Everyone Has a Dream (1993):

In a concert celebrating the works of the lyricist Jolland Chan in 2016
(Second of two songs starting at the 4:45 minutes mark):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79SpiY4qGtA


In a charity function in 2016:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvaXlysd5iY


In another charity function in 2016
(First of three songs):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4w-1S1E8Yk


In a charity function in 2013:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooVX5IEGQbA


In another charity function in 2013:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqfyyXIIfY8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY3TQm0rKW8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPffcLO5RG0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PvaBaiLC30


As a Guest in Karen Tong's 20th Anniversary Concert in 2012:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd0Sqyt3bB8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVVVC-UaiqY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXbKvK9J7F4


This video is circa 1993-94:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTUg9vh37u0


5. A music video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR3EYULX2eo


These are just the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB0yb-SCPUY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_kaShsxMvA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NScVrPOw20g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n9n06EfHR0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcDvfI608Uo


6. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:

一人有一個夢想 -- 黎瑞恩

曲︰盧東尼
詞︰向雪懷

如告知某一些的戀愛結果會心傷
曾愉快一試何妨
如告知我的一些感覺你不會欣賞
誰共你一般思想

* 不知那裡風向又傳來了花香
再次編織心中的幻想

# 一人有一個夢想   兩人熱愛漸迷惘
三人有三種愛找各自理想
一人變心會受傷   兩人願意沒惆悵
三人痛苦戀愛不再問事實與真相

何以我每當開始戀愛你這麼緊張
誰令你心跳若狂
何以我每當終止戀愛你變得輕鬆
流露你心中所想

Repeat *, #, #, #


7. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:

一人有一个梦想 -- 黎瑞恩

曲︰卢东尼
词︰向雪怀

如告知某一些的恋爱结果会心伤
曾愉快一试何妨
如告知我的一些感觉你不会欣赏
谁共你一般思想

* 不知那里风向又传来了花香
再次编织心中的幻想

# 一人有一个梦想   两人热爱渐迷惘
三人有三种爱找各自理想
一人变心会受伤   两人愿意没惆怅
三人痛苦恋爱不再问事实与真相

何以我每当开始恋爱你这么紧张
谁令你心跳若狂
何以我每当终止恋爱你变得轻松
流露你心中所想

Repeat *, #, #, #

 
8. Names, Words and Phrases:

Goldlion (Far East) Limited (Traditional Chinese: 金利來集團有限公司; Simplified Chinese: 金利来集团有限公司).

Jolland Chan (Traditional: 向雪懷; Simplified: 向雪怀).

Karen Tong (Traditional: 湯寶如; Simplified: 汤宝如).

Linda Wong (Traditional: 王馨平; Simplified: 王馨平).

PolyGram (Traditional: 寶麗金唱片公司; Simplified: 宝丽金唱片公司).

Priscilla Chan (Traditional: 陳慧嫻; Simplified: 陈慧娴).

Ricky Tsang (Traditional: 曾智明; Simplified: 曾智明).

Seven Little Flowers of PolyGram (Traditional: 寶麗金七小花; Simplified: 宝丽金七小花).

Shirley Kwan (Traditional: 關淑怡; Simplified: 关淑怡).

Tsang Hin-chi (Traditional: 曾憲梓; Simplified: 曾宪梓).

Vivian Chow (Traditional: 周慧敏; Simplified: 周慧敏).

Vivian Lai (Traditional: 黎瑞恩; Simplified: 黎瑞恩).

Winnie Lau (Traditional: 劉小慧; Simplified: 刘小慧).


References:

"黎瑞恩", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%BB%8E%E7%91%9E%E6%81%A9
(accessed 2017-01-11).

"一人有一个梦想", baike.baidu.com,
http://baike.baidu.com/view/3182262.htm
(accessed 2017-01-11).

End.

[Book] Os Guinness -- The Dust of Death (1973)

Os Guinness

The Dust of Death (1973)

1. I am presently re-reading some 20 to 30 books that have a formative influence on me in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Among the books is Os Guinness's The Dust of Death: A Critique of the Counter Culture (1973).

The Dust of Death (1973) made sense of the zeitgeist or spirit of the age among the youth of the 1960s and 1970s for me.

How and why did the generation that benefited from the material prosperity of post World War II became lost spiritually?

Os Guinness, with sensitivity, analyzed the antecedents and consequences of the optimism / pessimism dialectic of Humanism.

This book is a large scale cultural study and is very good.


2. The Holy Bible

(1 Corinthians 13:1-7 HCSB):

[1] If I speak human or angelic languages
but do not have love,
I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

[2] If I have the gift of prophecy
and understand all mysteries
and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith
so that I can move mountains
but do not have love, I am nothing.

[3] And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor,
and if I give my body in order to boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

[4] Love is patient, love is kind.
Love does not envy,
is not boastful, is not conceited,

[5] does not act improperly,
is not selfish, is not provoked,
and does not keep a record of wrongs.

[6] Love finds no joy in unrighteousness
but rejoices in the truth.

[7] It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.


3. The music and lyrics of Suicide is Painless (1970)
(theme song of M.A.S.H.):

(a) Music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-JCQep-H3Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmLq87RU97w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-BtquTKw78

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIIqYqtR1lY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gO7uemm6Yo


(b) Lyrics:

Through early morning fog I see
Visions of the things to be
The pains that are withheld for me
I realize and I can see...

* That suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please.

I try to find a way to make
All our little joys relate
Without that ever-present hate
But now I know that it's too late, and...
Repeat *

The game of life is hard to play
I'm gonna lose it anyway
The losing card I'll someday lay
So this is all I have to say.
Repeat *

The only way to win is cheat
And lay it down before I'm beat
And to another give my seat
For that's the only painless feat.
Repeat *

The sword of time will pierce our skins
It doesn't hurt when it begins
But as it works its way on in
The pain grows stronger...watch it grin, but...
Repeat *

A brave man once requested me
To answer questions that are key
Is it to be or not to be
And I replied 'oh why ask me?'
Repeat *
...and you can do the same thing if you please.


4. The Holy Bible

(1 Corinthians 13:8-13 HCSB):

[8] Love never ends.
But as for prophecies,
they will come to an end;
as for languages, they will cease;
as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

[9] For we know in part,
and we prophesy in part.

[10] But when the perfect comes,
the partial will come to an end.

[11] When I was a child,
I spoke like a child,
I thought like a child,
I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man,
I put aside childish things.

[12] For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
Now I know in part,
but then I will know fully,
as I am fully known.

[13] Now these three remain:
faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.


5. Table of Contents of The Dust of Death (1973):

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: The Striptease of Humanism
The Rise of Optimistic Humanism
The Surfacing of Pessimism
Four Pillars of Optimistic Humanism
The Striptease of Humanism
Alienation
Mystification
Romanticism
The Twilight of Western Thought

Chapter 2: Utopia or Oblivion?
The Importance of Futurology
Constructing a Scenario
Profiles of the Future
Planetary, Global and Biological Engineering
Sociological Change
The Optimists
The Pessimists: Ten Pressure Points
The Failure of Nerve

Chapter 3: The Great Refusal
Beginning with the Beat
The European Scene
The Angry Young Men
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Provos
The Hippies
The New Left
SNCC
SDS
The Failure of the New Left
The Parting of the Ways
Heightened Repression
From Realism to Romanticism

Chapter 4: One Dimensional Man
The Critique of Technocracy
The System
Critical Voices of the Fifties: Riesman, Whyte, Goodman and Mills
The Critical Voice of the Sixties: Marcuse
The Critical Voice of the Seventies: Ellul
Technophobia or Clarity of Vision?
The Weakness of the New Left-Not Its Critique But Its Alternative
Tragedy, Irony, Absurdity

Chapter 5: Violence-Crisis or Catharsis?
Violence in Political Theory
Violence in Evolutionary Theory
Violence in Psychoanalytic Theory
Violence in Cultural Theory
Violence as Catharsis
Violence as Crisis
Christianity and Violence: Traditional Views
Christianity and Violence: A Radical Understanding
Non-Violence and Christian Realism
Non-Violence and the "Use" of Force
Non-Violence and the "Understanding" of Violence
Non-Violence the Only Resort
Forgiveness Our Only Response
The Third Way

Chapter 6: The East, No Exit
East Meets West in San Francisco
Stirrings in the East and West
The East and Post-Christian West
The Silence of God
Ecology and the Nature of Nature
The Weakness of Western Christianity
Monism: An Eastern Presupposition
Monism and Reality
Monism and Personality
Monism and Morality
A Christian Alternative
Tolerance: East and West

Chapter 7: The Counterfeit Infinity
Paradise Now
The History of Marijuana
Mescaline
LSD
Objections to Psychedelics
Charting the Psychedelic Experience
Death and Evolution
Communication
Utopian Dreams
The Psychedelics and God
Psychedelics and the East
The Psychedelics and Alienation
The Psychedelics and Christian Experience

Chapter 8: Encircling Eyes
The Fire Burns Low
Back to the Occult- Why?
Superstition
Spiritism
Satanism
The Christian and the Occult

Chapter 9: The Ultimate Trip?
The Image of the Church
The Intellectual Stance of the Church
The Jesus Revolution
Christianity: Psychological Truth
Can Christianity Be Verified?
Christianity and Falsification
God's Self-Disclosure
General Revelation: The World and Man
Special Revelation: Christ and the Bible
The Logic of One's Choice

Chapter 10: The Third Race
What Not to Do
The Third Race
Constructive Christian Radicalism
The Necessity of Christian Radicalism
The Logic of Christian Premises
Radicalism and Creativity
Christian Compassion
True Understanding
Outrage
Identification
Is It Possible?


References:

Guinness, Os. 1973. The Dust of Death: A Critique of the Counter Culture. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.

"Os Guinness", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Os_Guinness
(accessed 2017-01-09).

"Suicide Is Painless", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_Is_Painless
(accessed 2017-01-09).

End.

[Music] Annabelle Louie -- Do not Have to Remember the Old Dreams

Annabelle Louie

1. Annabelle Louie entered a Hong Kong music competition in 1980 and came to the noticed of music producers.

She was subsequently chosen to duet with Michael Kwan the theme song for a 1980 RTV TV drama.

This drama theme song made her known to the public.

Next year, with Do not Have to Remember the Old Dreams ("舊夢不須記"), Annabelle was established as a major Hong Kong singer.

Both the music and lyrics of Do not Have to Remember the Old Dreams (1981) were by James Wong.

Annabelle was married in 1983 and immigrated with her husband to Vancouver, Canada in 1988.

Although not very active, she still sings and performs when the occasions arise.


2. A Hong Kong interview in the October 7, 2016 Sing Tao Daily newspaper (BC Edition):

3. A recent TV performance on Hong Kong's TVB:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A15Zk7YISs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXIVGdEkGNQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaIJmd_NlPY

The erhu (i.e. two-stringed bowed instrument) is by Jessie Hou.


In a 2016 charity function in Hong Kong:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdX1HPSVOf0


In a 2014 charity function in Vancouver:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On4Q-4mvhrI


In a 2010 concert in Hong Kong:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wL6KNjYl0s

The erhu is also by Jessie Hou.


In a 2009 concert in Hong Kong:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AhoGT_9IvY


In a 2003 Hong Kong theatre production:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqbkus5Po5c


In a 1991 charity function in Vancouver:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omam8EQ0gEM


4. This version is transferred from vinyl:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS7lpmlTFRE


5. Music videos:

Judging by her looks, this music video must be from the early 1980s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMJ9BTZbkcE


Other videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZSs0_SbV-Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Uj3wLJ6Oq8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD8FybGMJe8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1Zom9pLf2E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAHFrK1mVtg

and more in YouTube.


6. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:

舊夢不須記 -- 雷安娜

作詞：黃霑
作曲：黃霑

舊夢不須記   逝去種種昨日經已死
從前人渺   隨夢境失掉   莫憶風裡淚流怨別離

* 舊事也不須記   事過境遷以後不再提起
從前情愛   何用多等待   萬千恩怨讓我盡還你
此後人生漫漫長路   自尋路向天際分飛
他日與君   倘有未了緣   始終都會海角重遇你
因此舊夢不須記   亦不必苦與悲
緣來緣去   前事的喜與淚   在今天裡讓我盡還你

Repeat *


7. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:

旧梦不须记 -- 雷安娜

作词：黄霑
作曲：黄霑

旧梦不须记   逝去种种昨日经已死
从前人渺   随梦境失掉   莫忆风里泪流怨别离

* 旧事也不须记   事过境迁以后不再提起
从前情爱   何用多等待   万千恩怨让我尽还你
此后人生漫漫长路   自寻路向天际分飞
他日与君   倘有未了缘   始终都会海角重遇你
因此旧梦不须记   亦不必苦与悲
缘来缘去   前事的喜与泪   在今天里让我尽还你

Repeat *


8. Names, Words and Phrases:

Annabelle Louie (Traditional Chinese:雷安娜; Simplified Chinese: 雷安娜).

Erhu (Traditional: 二胡; Simplified: 二胡).

James Wong (Traditional: 黃霑; Simplified: 黄沾).

Jessie Hou (Traditional: 霍世潔; Simplified: 霍世洁).

Michael Kwan (Traditional: 關正傑; Simplified: 关正杰).


References:

"雷安娜", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%9B%B7%E5%AE%89%E5%A8%9C
(accessed 2017-01-08).

"霍世洁", baike.baidu.com.
http://baike.baidu.com/view/5502876.htm
(accessed 2017-01-08).

End.