Five For Fighting

本集推薦樂曲：
100 YEARS/Five for Fighting
作者：約翰翁德拉席克（John Ondrasik）
歌曲出處：「The Battle for Everything」專輯（2004，Sony）

如果你可以活一百年，假如你可以選擇，你最希望自己停留在什麼年紀呢？根據「掙脫合唱團」（Five for Fighting）最近相當受到注意的歌曲「100 Years」，答案是十五歲。在一片嘈雜的電子合成節奏與充滿色情跟暴力的熱門洪流下，這首非常Acoustic的歌曲，宛如一道清流，洋溢著生命的哲學與詩意，的確讓人有一種驚喜的感覺。

在一些老電影裡面，我們偶而會看到某些在街頭賣藝的人，把好幾種樂器「穿戴」在身上。比方說，他的背上可能是一面大鼓，頭上也許是銅鈸，手上可能拿著吉他或小提琴，甚至還有一把口琴固定在臉部的前方，於是，當他在彈彈唱唱的同時，藉著手腳並用，他就儼然是一支「單人樂隊」，歌唱的空檔，他還可以用口琴來加入「合奏」。儘管這一套現在早已不流行了，但是如果你在假日前往淡水遊玩，有時候還是可以在捷運車站的廣場看到這樣的表演。「掙脫」合唱團雖然不是玩這樣的遊戲，不過它事實上也可以說是一支「單人樂隊」，因為這支「合唱團」就只有一個成員，他單獨包辦了作曲、主唱、鋼琴與吉他的演奏，其他助陣的少數人，都是外聘的。

單人「組成」這支合唱團的約翰翁德拉席克（John Ondrasik），在洛杉磯的近郊出生、長大，從兩歲起就開始跟著擔任鋼琴教師的母親學習音樂，十三歲那年又偷了姊姊的吉他，自己摸索其中的訣竅。雖然他也接受過歌劇演唱的訓練，不過他很快就發現自己對歌劇並沒有太大的興趣，反倒是愛上了比利喬（Billy Joel）、艾爾頓強（Elton John）和史提夫汪達（Stevie Wonder）等搖滾創作歌手的作品，努力的學習那些巨星的技巧。1997年，他以冰上曲棍球犯規球員判罰離場五分鐘的術語「Five for Fighting」當作藝名，獲得Capitol唱片的合約，推出首張專輯「Message for Albert」，用生命與愛當作創作主題，雖然獲得不錯的評價，卻沒有受到太多的注意。三年之後，他加盟新力唱片，推出「America Town」專輯，除了延續生命與愛的主題，還添加了些許政治的色彩。本來他可能仍然難逃「叫好不叫座」的命運，但是專輯出版一年之後，卻由於「911」事件的發生，使得他的單曲「Superman (It's Not Easy)」突然流行起來，而「帥奇表」（Swatch）也採用他的「Something About You」當作廣告歌曲，不但專輯拿到白金唱片，他也因而獲得第四十四屆葛萊美獎「最佳流行合唱團體」的提名，儘管有點諷刺，卻也代表他受到了肯定。

經過一年多的籌畫，翁德拉席克終於推出了「掙脫合唱團」成名之後的第二張專輯「The Battle for Everything」，展現出更旺盛的野心與藝術氣息，探討著生命、死亡、上帝、天使與惡魔等，一般比較年輕的創作歌手們很少去碰觸的「嚴肅」主題，因為他始終認為，生命中的一切，就有如一場戰鬥。「100 Years」是專輯推出的第一首單曲，流暢的鋼琴前奏，立刻吸引了愛樂者們的注意。他採用類似90年代初期備受矚目的創作歌手馬克寇恩（Marc Cohn）那樣、真音與假音交替的唱腔，以幾近冥想的詩意，感嘆著歲月的流逝。十五歲的作夢年紀，還不曉得天高地厚，有著許多的時間可以揮霍，成天夢想著如何找到美好的愛情。二十二歲也不錯，終於嚐到了愛情火熱的滋味。三十三歲，他開始發現，自己其實只是個平凡的小人物，孩子馬上就要出生，他必須考慮家庭的責任。四十五歲，中年的危機使得生命波濤洶湧，片刻不能得閒。突然之間，你覺得自己增長了智慧，但只是一轉眼，六十七歲也成了歷史。九十九歲的時候，你只想能夠多活片刻，但是同時卻又在夢想中細數著如何才能再度看到已經離開人世的老伴。生命，就這樣匆匆流逝。當你只有一百年可活的時候，假如能夠停留在無憂無慮的十五歲，那真的是太好了，只是，可能嗎？

你能活到一百年嗎？你今年幾歲了？你是依然狂狷，還是已經體認了些許生命的真諦？假如你可以選擇，你會希望自己停留在什麼階段呢？這個問題，還真的是非常耐人尋味的。

歌詞中英對照：

100 YEARS
(Written by John Ondrasik)

I'm 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are

I'm 22 for a moment
She feels better than ever
And we're on fire
Making our way back from Mars

15…there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15…there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live…

I'm 33 for a moment
Still the man, but you see I'm a they
A kid on the way, babe
A family on my mind
I'm 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I'm heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life

15…there's still time for you
Time to buy and Time to lose yourself
Within a morning star
15…I'm all right with you
15…there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live…

Half time goes by
Suddenly you're wise
Another blink of an eye
67 is gone
The sun is getting high
We're moving on

I'm 99 for a moment
Dying for just another moment
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are

15...there's still time for you
22...I feel her too
33...you're on your way
Every day's a new day
15...there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15...there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live…




另外推薦一首Spuerman


聽了會有點淡淡的哀傷~

I can't stand to fly, I'm not that naive


I'm just out to find the better part of me


I'm more than a bird, I'm more than a plane


I'm more than some pretty face beside a train,
and it's not easy to be me.



I wish that I could cry, fall upon my knees

Find a way to lie about a home I'll never see

It may sound obsurd, but don't be naive

Even heroes have the right to bleed

I may be disturbed, but wont you conceive

Even heroes have the right to dream, and it's not easy to be me.



Up ahead, away away from me

Well it's all right, you can all sleep sound tonight

I'm not crazy, or anything.



I can't stand to fly, I'm not that naive

Men weren't meant to ride with clouds between their knees

I'm only a man in a silly red sheet,
digging for Kriptonite on this one way street

Only a man on this one way street
looking for special things inside of me.



I'm only a man looking for a dream

I'm only a man in a funny red sheet,
and it's not easy..
It's not easy to be... me.

You know you've been in Taiwan too long when ~

Apparently this list has been circulating on the internet
since Kane met Able and despite the risk of pissing some people off
I thought I might repost it here.
Some of it is slightly funny and some too close to my own experience.
Anyway, you know you've been in Taiwan too long when...



1. You can order the entire McDonald's menu in Chinese.



2. You decide it makes more sense to drive a motorcycle instead of a car.



3. More than one garment has been ruined by betel-nut spit.



4. More than one garment has been ruined by salty sweat stains.



5. More than one garment has been ruined by food grease.



6. Someone doesn't stare at you and you wonder why.



7. You look both ways before crossing the sidewalk.



8. Hsiaohsing Wine tastes good.



9. You turn left from the right lane, no matter how many lanes there are.



10. 20 degrees feels cold.



11. You see three people on a motorcycle and figure there's room for two more.



12. "Squid" sounds better than "steak".



13. You don't notice the smell.



14. There are more things strapped to your motorcycle than you'd ever put in a



15. Looking at a dog makes you hungry.



16. You stop conjugating verbs.



17. You speak fluent Chinglish.



18. You drive on the shoulder to pass traffic.



19. The main reason you stop at a 7-11 is to buy tea eggs.



20. You expect a Chinese New Year's bonus.



21. Firecrackers and garbage trucks don't wake you up.



22. You spend two hours and a fortune to eat Western food.



23. You can distinguish aboriginal languages.



24. Your family stops asking you when you'll be coming back.



25. You consider taxi drivers "good drivers".



26. You don't think beer is expensive.



27. You stop and look both ways before driving through a red light.



28. You don't stop or look both ways before driving through a red light.



29. "A", "an" and "the" aren't necessary parts of speech.



30. You know when the next "big bai-bai" is.



31. Smoking is one of the dinner courses.



32. You don't mind when your date picks her/his nose in public.



33. You wear out your horn before your brakes.



34. You know which place has the best noodles & duck meat at 3:00 a.m.



35. You (male) wear white socks with suits and black socks with tennis shorts.
You (female) wear socks with pantyhose in summer.
You (any gender) wear polyester and paisley.



36. People who knew you when you first arrived don't recognize you.



37. You speak Chinese to your foreign friends.



38. You own a karaoke machine.



39. You offer directions to locals.



40. You leave the plastic on new furniture and appliances.



41. Forks and knives feel awkward.



42. The shortest distance between two points involves going through an alley.



43. You wear blue rubber flip-flops to work.



44. Your deodorant stick has cobwebs on it.



45. Foreigners smell funny.



46. You check that the karaoke machine is working before boarding a wild chicken bus.



47. Mando- pop remakes of Western songs sound better than the originals.



48. You own a Mando-pop CD.



49. You've been to a Mando-pop concert.



50. You know the lyrics to Mando-pop songs and/or have sung them in KTV.



51. You point out foreigners and stare at them.



52. You shop for clothes at night markets and the clothes fits.



53. You own at least one mosquito tennis raquet.



54. The majority of foreigners who have been in Taiwan longer than you
are buried here.



55. You find yourself saying, "Oh geez, not ANOTHER Year of the Rat."



56. You know which turn signal should be on
when driving the wrong way down a one-way street.



57. You get homesick for Chinese food when away from Taiwan.



58. You can name two dozen different types of night market snacks.



59. You pray at temples for a winning lottery number.



60. At least a part of Christmas dinner is stir-fried.



61. Other foreigners give you a funny look
when you tell them how long you've been here.



62. You can't think of any good reason to leave Taiwan.



63. People no longer come up to you on the street and want to be your friend.



64. You're impressed by the safety of Taiwan scaffolding.



65. The last few vacations you've had have been around Taiwan on company outings.



66. Your idea of a barbeque is squatting by the side of a highway.



67. You prefer squatting to sitting (including toilets).



68. You've had a dozen different Taiwan email addresses.



69. You've had several local cell phone numbers.



70. Locals are surprised to find out you can't vote in the upcoming election.



71. Your pets are bilingual.



72. Pizza just doesn't taste right unless there's corn on it.



68. You prefer to park on the sidewalk.



69. Most meaningful conversations take place in doorways or on slow-moving motorcycles.



70. Sometimes the sight of yourself in the mirror shocks you.



71. You think your nose is big.



72. You speak Mandarin with a Taiwanese accent.



73. You take "ho" onto the end of your sentences.



74. You say "hei" instead of yes.



75. You can haggle with the best of them.



76. You don't want to sit near the foreigners on the bus or in the restaurant.



77. Your English has gone to hell.



78. Foreign women look big and fat; foreign men look the same, but also hairy.



79. In your home country,
you find yourself accidentally speaking Chinese (answer the phone with "wei?")



80. You can differentiate different types of tea, even during a hot tea blowjob.



81. You can tell taxi drivers the exact route to take...anywhere.



82. You know where to buy *anything*.



83. Wearing shoes in a house makes you really uncomfortable.



84. You shower in the evening.



85. The smell of chou dofu makes your mouth water.



86. You wait until just before Chinese New Year to "pick up" new furniture.



87. You walk into restaurants and they know what you want before you order.



88. You only know what's popular back home from the dress
and speech of new foreign Chinese students.



89. You get all mushy inside when you think about Chinese New Year.



90. The best way of spending your free time is sleeping.



91. You deflect compliments in the presence of foreign friends.



92. You fight to pay the bill.



93. You don't open gifts until you get home.



94. You have fond memories of a particular spot in Taiwan...
that no longer exists.



95. Taiwan beer is your beer of choice and you prefer it with ice.



96. You don't make important decisions without consulting the temple astrologer.



97. You can tell what someone wants from what they don't say.



98. ICRT is a "good" radio station.



99. Some of your biggest musical influences
have been the Carpenters and Air Supply CDs.



100. You can tell what is inside a Chinese/Taiwanese cookie
without biting into it.



101. You recognize old girlfriends.



102. You count yourself fortunate to have stepped in dog shit.



103. You know the difference between a duvet, duna, and comforter.



104. Your mom has a funny accent.



105. You look at traffic accidents with indifference.



106. You think Taiwan game shows are fucking hilarious.



107. You can tell the political orientations of local cable news stations
from the way they report the news.



108. You think of Tianmu as a place where foreigners live.



109. You own a little, yappy dog and carry it around with you.



110. You own a shirt with a pig on it.



111. You own a buxiban.



112. You eat ji pi gu because your complexion isn't what it used to be.



113. You just can't get that Kenny G song out of your head.



114. You can't remember not having athlete's foot.



115. You get a post-dated check two months
after completing a job and still thank your employer.



116. You're terrified that the chicken head
will point at you during the annual "wei ya".



117. You are in a car with six people
and argue with the seventh to hurry up and get in.



118. NT$1000 is far less than the equivalent in your home currency.



119. Your kids speak better Chinese than you do.



120. Steak just doesn't taste right without an egg, noodles,
and tomato sauce.



121. When you're thirsty, you go to 7-11 for a box of tea.



122. Someone wishes you a Happy Easter and you remember it's easter...



123. You can keep up with the plot lines of local soap operas.



124. You see Taiwanese who resemble your foreign friends and relatives back home.



125. You've become unconscious of profuse sweating.



126. You no longer sweat.



127. You know where to buy clothes that fit you.



128. You can cook Chinese.



129. You know police and tax officials by name.



130. You know the visa system better than people in the visa offices.



131. You cannot say the number six without an accompanying hand gesture.



132. You'd take boiled peanuts over dry-roasted any day.



133. The only TV shows you know about from home are those in syndication in Taiwan.



134. Money from home looks and feels like "Monopoly" money.



135. You feel embarassed for *other* foreigners.



136. You add syllables to English words when speaking Chinese (eg test-uh)



137. You have Chinese input software on your computer.



138. You can't live without dried squid-flavored strips.



139. You know the names of Taiwan actors, actresses,
singers, politicians, and broadcasters.



140. The rate at which you speak English has slowed considerably,
and you use simple words.



141. Writing an email in English is taxing.



142. You start your day with soybean milk and oil sticks.



143. You start the day in the park exercising with people your age.



144. You have accumulated more stuff than you could possibly take home with you.



145. Your savings are in a "hui".



146. You've started a "hui".



147. Internal organs are yummy.



148. You casually pick out and discard cockroach parts in your "biandang".



149. You take stock market tips from taxi drivers.



150. "Meibanfa" or "bukenung" are perfectly acceptable answers
to your inquiries at government offices.



151. You celebrate your birthday with taro, red bean, and lard.



152. You play mahjong until 4 a.m. with your in-laws on holidays.



153. You look forward to typhoons because it you might get a day off work.



154. After a couple of beers you jones for a betelnut.



155. You stop caring about tones in your Mandarin.



156. You've taught another foreigner something in Chinese.



157. You've learned something in Chinese from another foreigner.



158. You get a feng shui expert to go apartment hunting with you.



159. You can tell the difference between a fresh and a stale betelnut.



160. Your friends have gone home, gotten advanced degrees, and returned to Taiwan.



161. When someone back home asks you how things are going in "Thailand,"
you are offended but don't say anything.



162. You dream in Chinese.



163. You know just enough Taiwanese to embarrass someone who's talking about you.



164. You have saved money.



165. When driving back home, people give you the finger.



166. When you've been on vacation, you're happy to return.



167. Your police friends feel safe telling you about recent bribes they've taken.



168. You are a connoisseur of fine brothels.



169. You wish desperately you could vote in local elections.



170. Your kid is half Chinese, I mean, Taiwanese.



171. You haven't had a dent on your motor vehicle in years.



172. Dry weather irritates your skin.



173. You realize that *everyone* is available.



174. You've used up quite a few health insurance cards.



175. You run into former students in bars.



176. You run into former students in bed.



177. Your porn collection is over 90% Asian.



178. You feel like a kid in a candy store at Costco.



179. You've called gangster friends to help you settle a dispute.



180. The credit card you gave your wife is your "get out of jail free card"



181. You learn more about the news from what it doesn't say.



182. You piss off locals with running commentary on the local news.



183. You know someone who's died here.



184. You drink coffee in the morning and tea at night.



185. You could rebuild your entire life in a day.



186. You had hair when you first got here.



187. New arrivals mistake your sarcasm for bitterness.



188. You have a beer taste on a champagne budget.



189. You just don't understand what all those new young Mandarin students are all about.



190. You've consulted a lawyer.



191. You *are* a lawyer.



192. You've been in a local hospital more than once.



193. You only get gastroenteritis when you return home.



194. You own more travel guides than places you've been to.



195. You have a favorite pair of flip-flops.



196. You think the best gifts are practical.



197. You think the best gift is money.



198. You laugh when people say the word "illegal"



199. You are attracted to the parents of your students.



200. You think a half-hour car ride is an excruciatingly long time



201. You haven't learned a new word of Chinese in years.



202. You've bought the same thing a dozen times ... and will buy a new one when this one breaks.



203. You get get all weepy when you hear Christmas music.



204. You have more money in your pocket right now than you've ever had back home.



205. You spent more money today than you ever did back home.



206. There's at least one room in your house you seldom use.



207. The pages of your Chinese notebooks are yellow.



208. The Lonely Planet Taiwan guide is so shallow.



209. You're amazed at how low-tech everything is back home.



210. You have a giant wedding photo on your wall



211. You've *had* a giant wedding photo on your wall.



212. You own something cute.



213. You bake in a toaster oven.



214. You drink the water.



215. You can de-bone a piece of chicken in your mouth within seconds.



216. You can shell shrimp in your mouth within seconds.



217. You speak English in hotels to get better service.



218. You're always the one who hold the door open button so others can get on.



219. Under no circumstances would you ever give up your seat.



220. You cut off gravel trucks and those blue Varica trucks.



221. You practice s-curves on the freeway at 120.



222. You answer either/or questions with yes.



223. You watch those late-night girls in bikini shows.



224. You cover your mouth when you pick your teeth.



225. You know what DM, POP, AE, XO, WC, and AV stand for or mean.



226. You golf.



227. All your air tickets are round trip.



228. You pay close attention to traffic reports.



229. You've been on television.



230. You have a stuffed animal in your car.



231. You've been through several cellphones, computers, and business cards.



232. Over half of your software is pirated.



233. You call your wife on your cellphone just to let her know you really are out with the guys.



234. You make up a really god excuse otherwise.



235. You forget to leave tips when back home.



236. You don't buy anything unless you can get a discount.



237. You accept business cards with both hands, and inspect both sides without reading them.



238. You're afraid of dogs.



239. Bread is thick, mushy, and sweet as hell.



240. You've tasted things that are too sweet.



241. You move to be within walking distance of the MRT.



242. You move to be within driving distance of the freeway.



243. You've picked up a few words of Japanese from TV.



244. You carry an umbrella with you for much of the year.



245. You dust-mop your floor.



246. You try to tell people back about Taiwan, and are angry when they look bored.



247. You have nothing to say to people back home.



248. You smile when you're embarrassed or angry.

你很幸福

「你很幸福。」 那天有人這樣跟我說



「喔? 怎麼說?」 我回答



「你看」他指著在旁邊睡覺的小蹦



「他不會跟你吵架、不會對你發脾氣、不會對你沒耐心

不管你什麼時候回家他都很高興、不會洩漏秘密、會聽你講心事訴苦

心裡只有你一個人、你愛他他就一定愛你、也沒有前女友的困擾

更不會劈腿花心搞外遇」 他一口氣念了一串



人生中最幸福的事情

就是你愛他，而他也愛你

-----

Stingray kills 'Crocodile Hunter'

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) --


Steve Irwin, the TV presenter known as the "Crocodile Hunter," has died after

being stung by a stingray in a marine accident off Australia's north coast.





Media reports say Irwin was diving in waters off Port Douglas, north of Cairns,

when the incident happened on Monday morning.





Irwin, 44 was killed by a stingray barb that went through his chest, according to

Cairns police sources. Irwin was filming an underwater documentary at the time.





Ambulance officers confirmed they attended a reef fatality Monday morning off Port

Douglas, according to Australian media.

(Watch scenes of Irwin, known for his his enthusiasm, support for conservation -- 2:49)





Queensland Police Services also confirmed Irwin's death and said his family had

been notified. Irwin was director of the Australian Zoo in Queensland.





He is survived by his American-born wife Terri and their two children, Bindi Sue,

born 1998, and Robert (Bob), born December 2003.





Irwin became a popular figure on Australian and international television through

Irwin's close handling of wildlife, most notably the capture and relocation of

crocodiles.





Irwin's enthusiastic approach to nature conservation and the environment won him a

global following. He was known for his exuberance and use of the catch phrase

"Crikey!"





But his image suffered a setback in January 2004 when he held his then 1-month-old

baby Bob while feeding a crocodile at his Australian zoo. (Full story)





In a statement released to Australian media, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer

expressed his sorrow and said that he was fond of Irwin and was very appreciative

of all the work he had done in promoting Australia overseas.





In 2003, Irwin spoke to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.'s Australian Story

television program about how he was perceived in his home country.





"When I see what's happened all over the world, they're looking at me as this very

popular, wildlife warrior Australian bloke," he said, the ABC reported.





"And yet back here in my own country, some people find me a little bit embarrassing.

"You know, there's this... they kind of cringe, you know, 'cause I'm coming out

with 'Crikey' and 'Look at this beauty.'"







Big lost of wildlife world.

May you rest in peace.

-----

Luca寶貝

剛剛在PTT的寵物版看到一隻巧克力拉布拉多

想到了LUCA 突然很想哭



前幾個禮拜去屏東看了一趟路小卡

看到他在那邊跑來跑去，其實很高興

他是我最捨不得的一隻狗，也是目前唯一可以跟BONGA佔有同樣地位的一隻



剛撿到他就覺得他不一樣

很像小媳婦，逆來順受

那時候幫他縫耳朵他乖乖坐在那邊不吵不動的情形聽過的人都不相信

他也不像一般公狗會搶地盤爭風吃醋

頂多趁別的公狗尿尿完以後再補上一泡

他可以容許BONGA從他的嘴裡把骨頭搶走

最喜歡在床底下睡覺，不會叫

把他放在家裡，回家以後不會有任何東西被弄亂

給他飼料永遠乖乖吃光

出門不會爆衝、叫一下就回來



現在這個家，很愛他

聽他們說Luca跟家裡阿公感情最好

常常阿公坐在那邊，邊摸著躺在一旁的Luca

就這樣一人一狗過一個下午

我去的時候阿公沒有出來，只坐在裡面

但是他的眼睛一直盯著我們



Luca在那邊可是突然MAN起來了呢

不但開始會叫，也會趕野狗，甚至會打架 XD

可是對人，他還是一樣是那麼溫溫順順



我怕我在那邊會捨不得，所以只呆了半個多小時就走

騎車走的時候我還特別叮嚀他們把Luca抓緊，因為他很愛坐機車，怕他會追

不過他還是掙脫項圈追上來了

我輕輕牽著他回去，摸著他的頭要他乖乖聽話

然後快步離開....卻也聽到後面傳來的叫聲...

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