著名的澳洲自然学者和电视人"Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin于九月四日在Queensland省Port Douglas外Batt Reef附近的浅海中从事纪录片拍摄时突然遭到Stringray的袭击。Stringay伸出的尖刺从Steve左胸穿入，直入心脏。尽管随行人员很快向岸上呼救，但由于伤势致命，Steve还是在乘直升飞机赶来的医护人员到达之前停止的心跳和呼吸。摄像机记录下了Steve遇刺的全过程：Steve靠那些Stringray太近了。那些动物感到了人类和摄影机的多重威胁，于是选择竖起它们致命的倒刺以求自我保护。不幸的是，那些长度可达25厘米的倒刺恰好插入Steve的左胸，如锋利的匕首般在心脏上开了一个大口。Steve本能的将尖刺拔出，然后很快陷入昏迷，随即死亡。

 

尽管已经习惯在电视上看到Steve与巨鳄、毒蛇在一起摸爬滚打，早已有常在河边走，哪能不湿鞋的想法，可消息传来，还是不免有些觉得太过突然，随即便是些许悲痛与感慨。总以为凭你几十年的经验，必可逢凶化吉，遇难呈祥，却没想到终于还是出了意外。唉，只有感谢你为环保、科普作出的巨大贡献吧。

Finally, Andre 'legend' Agassi bows out of the 2006 US Open, as well as his 21 years pro career. It was not a high quality match. Andre was apparently in great pain and could not move well on the court, despite one more day's rest thanks to the rain all day long yesterday. He lost to B. Becker from Germany.Yes, Ben. Becker, fortunately it was not Boris Becker, one of his main rivaries during the early stage of his career.

 

He surprisingly survived the match against Marcos Baghdatis, the Australian Open Runner-up on Friday. It was a very close match with many up-and-downs. Andre took the lead 2-0 easily with the help of Marcos' poor play. But Marcos, as usual, came back and level the set. Clearly the 5th set is harder for the 36 year old Andre than the 21 year old Marcos. But it was the 21 year old cramped both legs at 4-4. What surprised me more was Marcos continued and even got four break points in that 9th game. Even though he did not break, he held and made it to 5-6 40-15. Then, more surprisingly, Marcos threw out two double faults, handing the victory to Andre.

 

We did not expect Andre to win today after the 3 hour 40 minute marathon. You can't expect a 36 year old to rehabilitate so fast. Although we don't want him to go, although he tried his best to play with the pain, he lost. He did not make it further. I regretted for him but he said he has no regrets. This is sports.

 

"I've spent a lot of time over the last few months knowing that this tournament would be the end," he said after a third-round defeat to Benjamin Becker.

"I look at the young guys and it's evenly balanced between me seeing the great things they have to look forward to and how much I wouldn't do it again.

"It feels like a balance that leaves me very clear and at peace."

Good bye, Andre. Wish you all the best.

Watched free Da Vinci Code on the grand premiere's day, thanks to Google, which invaded not only Yahoo's business markets, but also Yahoo's parking lots...

 

Some protestors stood on the sidewalk at the entrance of the parking lot with banners like " Save your soul, Don't watch the Da Vinci Code". Don't know how many people will be persuaded back, especially considering the fact that they have already drove a long way there.

 

The movie is fine, but kinda hard to follow for those who have not read the book.

 

... ... to be continued

 

记得原来听翅膀说她生活在乡下，还被欧灿反驳说斯坦福是南湾最核心的地方。现在看来，斯坦福的确是前不着村，后不着店，背靠着山，前面没海，离什么地方都挺远的。

 

相比起来，俺每天出没(1)的山景市虽然处于斯坦福所在的帕洛阿图市的隔壁，却是交通便利。三条主要高速公路SR-85, 101 和 237 交汇于此，使得山景市到湾区各处的交通十分便捷。

 

今儿晌午(2)，刚走出邮局，从人行道横穿马路，只见一个白人小孩(3)从前方路对面斜杀向前方的几张亚裔面孔，伸出的手里拿着仿佛钞票状的物事。昨天刚听冯公子说不远处的谷歌园区经常于周四发放免费商品，不想今儿在下城也撞上了。而且这是现钞啊，难道不比体恤、圆珠笔强？看来这下城就是不一样，以后没事得多出来晃晃。

 

一边胡思乱想，一边加紧脚步上前看个究竟。只见那孩子手里捏着一张皱巴巴的一元钞票，向其中一个正在喷云吐雾的亚裔急道：I am offering you one dollar for a cigarette... ... 亚裔们笑笑，作势欲走。男孩见状十分着急，不自觉地提高了音量：I am eighteen... I can show you my ID... ...

 

 

(1) 其实是每天早上没，晚上出而已... ...

(2) 好吧，是上周四... ...

(3) 嗯，看上去也不算很小了... ...

托冯公子的福，笔者有幸于今晚(1)游览了国际著名的互联网公司谷歌位于加利福尼亚州山景市的总部。

 

从下城出发沿着岸线路驱车北行约两哩路，穿过著名的一零一公路后不远处左转，便隐约看到一座座掩映在葱绿树丛中的现代化写字楼(2)。已是傍晚七时，可是谷歌园区仍是人影随处可见(3)。

 

在冯公子的导引下，笔者有机会进入谷歌总部大楼进行参观。第一站是餐厅，这里也是硅谷最顶尖的精英们集中出没的地方。也许是技术人才的默契，这里的绝大多数员工衣着随意且舒适，并没有人们印象中高级白领的衣冠楚楚。相反的，其中相当一部分身着据说是公司免费提供的印有谷歌标志的体恤衫，简朴却具有凝聚力(4)。高度国际化的谷歌集中了来自全世界的优秀人才。白人，黑人，亚裔，印度裔等随处可见。这里的饭菜种类丰富，中西结合，能够很好的满足公司员工的不同需求。同时，免费供应早午晚三餐既降低了员工的支出，提高了公司福利，又节省了员工的就餐时间，提高了工作效率。谷歌此举可谓一举多得。

 

走在谷歌的办公大楼里，体会到谷歌的福利待遇一流，工作环境轻松舒适的确名不虚传。除了免费的餐饮和衣装，沙发床、游戏机、台球桌、桌上足球台、乒乓球台、按摩椅及其他各类健身器械等不时出现，甚至还有两个露天单人泳池(5)。号称离办公桌最远不超过二十米的厨房更是随处可见。厨房里有各类小吃和饮料。市价高达三四元钱一小瓶的高档果汁任君索取。正在目不暇接之时，突然发现了一箱冰镇啤酒，百威，喜力等应有尽有。终于忍受不住诱惑，于是只有在一周内第二次酒后驾车(6)。

 

谷歌的工位当然也是十足的个性化。办公区域色彩缤纷，各类饰物花样繁多，琳琅满目。唯一相同的是每桌那两个巨型宽屏液晶显示器，或横或竖的拼在一起，煞是壮观。据冯公子说这是为了方便员工编程。

 

夜已深，从谷歌大楼里出来，发现几条状若白熊的大狗狗安静的伏在路边。从他们身旁走过，大概是形形色色的人见得多了吧，竟是丝毫不予理睬，连尾巴都不肯摇一下，与平时社区内见人便狂吠的恶犬形成鲜明对比。谷歌的狗啊，到底是见过大世面的。据说这些宠物平时随处可入，只有这餐厅例外，也只好委屈一时了，难怪闷闷不乐的样子。

 

谷歌在中国大规模招聘，对于有志者来说，不失为一个很好的机会。望大家抓紧良机。

 

 

(1) 其实是上周三晚，俺太忙（懒）了，所以... ...

(2) 这个，虽然总体感觉还不错，但是也没比其他地方的办公社区强到哪儿去吧...据说随着新人的不断加入，Google正积极扩张，采用恩威并施的方式蚕食周边地盘... ...

(3) 大多手里拿着一个白色食盒，从饭厅出来走向停车场... ...

(4) 据说经常是周四在某个地方发放，俺正考虑什么时候去抢一件... ...

(5) 两个大概有两米多长，一米多宽的泳池；据说开放的时候旁边必须有救生员在场监视；另外还有在上面走廊里来往的数千员工随意参观... ...

(6) 俺错了，第一次是上上周五，因为特殊原因被迫去下城某酒吧喝了一大杯啤酒；加州的规定是0.08%，估计早就超了吧；两次都要开将近20哩回家，那个，大晚上的，总得让回家吧... ...

 

This time on Checker in Milpitas Ulferts Center. I guess 'wing' is a variant of 'wins' besides it's original meaning of flying high. Well, truse me, when something bad always happens, you will get used to it. So no more comments about the game and the loss.

 

 

Milpitas is one of my favorite cities in Bay area. It is located between San Jose (South Bay) and Fremont (East Bay) and often called the "Crossroads of Sillicon Valley with most of it's 14.5 sq miles of land situated between two major freeways (I-880 and I 680), State route 237 (to Mountan View) and a county expressway.

 

Lying in the northeastern corner of Santa Clara Valley, Milpitas has a beautiful landscape with rolling hills. Monument Peak, the most prominent summit in the eastern Milpitas hills, is one of the oldest and most well-known symbols of the city. It currently has a broadcasting antenna which provides several television channels to the South Bay.

 

Milpitas is famous for its Chinese shopping centers, especially in South Bay. Milpitas square, located at the very conenient cross point of I-880 and SR-237, is probably the place I visit most times besides home and office since ouc first took me here last September. It features a Ranch 99 market and over 60 shops and restaurants, including ouc's favorite 清真一条龙

 

 

Downtown Mountain View is the "heartbeat" of the city. This vibrant and active center offers restaurants, shops, theater, sidewalk cafes and the civic center. Downtown Mountain View is known for it's activities--festivals, including the Chamber's Annual Art & Wine Festival; Parades; cultural event; the wwekly farmer's market; free concerts; and a variety of unique celebrations throughout the year. Thousands of people each year come to downtown Mountain View to enjoy the events, and the character of downtown keeps them coming back.

 

Castro Street is the fuction and symbolic center of downtown. It is a "townscape," with pedestrian-scaled stree spaces, well defined by attractive buildings and beautiful landscaping. The city comes alive at night when the lights shine from the trees lining the sidwalks and diners stroll from restaurants to cafes, ice-cream shops, bookstores or pubs.

 

 

The first time I saw wing, she took a Go set confidently coming to challenge a master in the dorm opposite. That was 10 years ago. And, she won that game.

 

Today, after dinner in Amarin on Castro street, Li and I played chinese chess against wing and Yang. It was quite interesting because people play alternatively in each pair without talking to each other. Thus you have to guess your partner's strategies. Wing and Yang opened the game but apparently went astray at the beginning, wasted tempo by moving the rook back and forth. Li and I took advantage and attacked the right wing, advacing the cannon to opponent's base line. Red counter attacked and  double filed it's cannons down the center file. Li and I made a Zwischenzug, ignoring the captured cannon at the center and preparing a discovered attack with check, threatening to capture Red's rook.  Yang responded by moving the king out, followed by wing's smart intermediate move, putting another rook on the open file at the left wing. It's the turning point of the game because Red got both rooks active. Wing and Yang eventually achieved a beautiful mate helped by our blunder.

 

It's the second time I lost to wing in chess games. Last time it was European chess. Including the one today, I have never managed to win a single game out of three, ft.

Strong congratulations to Xu Yuhua, who beat Russian Alisa Galliamova 2.5 - 0.5 in the final of the Women's World Chess Championship 2006. Despite disadvantageous situation in mid game, Xu managed to bring some counter attack in the 3rd game.