貴族精神和文化素養

[這篇是朋友間流傳的一篇好文章。原作者不明。]

 

什麼是真正的＂貴族精神＂？

請看：貴族精神和文化素養。。。

如何偵查出偽造美鈔

Eight Ways to Spot Counterfeit Money

By Samuel Weigley | 24/7 Wall St – 3 hours ago

 

Yahoo! Finance/AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man - A U.S. bank note claimed to be counterfeited by North Korea, left and a real U.S. dollar bill, right. (AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man)

<img width=1 height=1 alt="""" src="http://us.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=T5Tl.QrHg2.wsU1WUXdqkgA_a9WhAlGBj3AADYGS&T=1f7lad9hs%2fX%3d1367445361%2fE%3d1183311978%2fR%3dfin-glob%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d2.1%2fW%3dH%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d1160286087%2fH%3dX2lkPSI2YzVkY2YwNi0yNjRiLTM1N2YtODNjMi1lODdmMWZiMmZjMDYiIGNhbl9zdXBwcmVzc191Z2M9IjEiIGNvbnRlbnQ9ImZpbmFuY2UiIHJlZnVybD0icmVmdXJsX3d3d195YWhvb19jb20iIHJzPSJsbXNpZDphMDc3MDAwMDAwSE9ES2hBQVAiIHNlcnZlSWQ9IlQ1VGwuUXJIZzIud3NVMVdVWGRxa2dBX2E5V2hBbEdCajNBQURZR1MiIHNpdGVJZD0iNDQ1MTA1MSIgdFN0bXA9IjEzNjc0NDUzNjA5OTk2OTAiIHRvcGljPSJwZi1TYXZpbmcgLSBCYW5raW5nIiA-%2fQ%3d-1%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3d68EF8B62&U=12bvavln0%2fN%3d8cHvOmKL5Us-%2fC%3d-1%2fD%3dREC%2fB%3d-1%2fV%3d0">

The new U.S. $100 bill is set to debut in October. Along with a sleeker, more high-tech look, the new bill has new security features designed to thwart counterfeiters. For instance, the new $100 has color-shifting ink that would be difficult for counterfeiters to duplicate. The Liberty Bell on the note will shift from copper to green when the bill is tilted.

These changes to the bill are part of an ongoing effort to help distinguish real from fake currency. “It is a constantly evolving process of putting more and more features on the bill to allow the common citizen to detect counterfeit,” said Ed Lowery, a special agent with the Secret Service.

[More from 24/7 Wall St.: States with the Most Gun Violence]

Most of the counterfeit notes that change hands are computer-generated, which are easily distinguishable from real bills. “The process utilized to manufacture genuine notes is so detailed that there are very few systems out there that can match that level of detail in the printing,” Lowery said. People who hold both a real bill and a counterfeit bill in their hands should be able to notice a difference in texture between the two notes. From there, they can go on to look at other factors that would separate the two bills, such as the watermark or serial number.

Making a counterfeit note has never been easier since technology is so readily available for counterfeiters to print fake money at home. However, these notes are usually of low quality and should be unable to pass muster with an informed merchant. Nevertheless, “most people don’t realize that they have counterfeit [money] until they try to make a deposit at the bank or [with] a merchant,” said Joe DeSantis, an assistant special agent with the Secret Service.

Bars and nightclubs are easy places to exchange counterfeit money since they are not well lit, said Jason Kersten, an expert on counterfeiting and the author of “The Art of Making Money: The Story of a Master Counterfeiter.” In order to combat this problem, many of these establishments are looking at notes with ultraviolet lights, which can help to detect phony bills.

[More from 24/7 Wall St.: The Most Popular Home Improvements]

Stopping counterfeits can often be as easy as knowing what to look for. To find out the features one should look for when trying to detect bad notes, 24/7 Wall St. talked to DeSantis, Lowery and Kersten, in addition to using information from the U.S. Secret Service’s “Know Your Money” campaign.

These are eight ways to spot counterfeit money. Note: In the images below, the genuine bill is on the left.

1. Portrait
SecretService.govThe portraits on counterfeit money can sometimes look different from the portraits on real bills. On a real bill, the portrait tends to stand out from the background. However, on a counterfeit bill, the portrait’s coloring tends to blend too much with the rest of the bill. In addition, the portrait tends to look “lifeless and flat” on counterfeit bills, according to the Secret Service. Both DeSantis and Lowery pointed out that this difference is due to the different printing processes between real and counterfeit money. They noted that real currency uses printing methods that cannot be replicated by anyone else.

2. Federal Reserve and Treasury Seals
SecretService.govA real dollar bill will have Federal Reserve and Treasury Seals that are “clear, distinct and sharp,” according to the Secret Service. The agency points out that the seals on a counterfeit bill “may have uneven, blunt, or broken saw-tooth points.” One way to detect a counterfeit is by looking at the coloring. If the color of the Treasury Seal does not match the color of the serial number, the bill is fake.

3. The Border
SecretService.govThe outside border on real paper currency are “clear and unbroken,” according to the Secret Service. However, the agency notes the edges on a counterfeit bill can be “blurred and indistinct.” Because of the difference in printing methods between genuine and counterfeit bills, the border ink can sometimes bleed on a phony. However, he added this was n0t among the most common way to detect counterfeit.

4. Serial Numbers
SecretService.govLooking at the serial numbers is another way to detect counterfeit money. The Secret Service points out that the serial numbers on a note must be the same color as the Treasury Seal. The agency also notes that the numbers on counterfeit bills “may not be uniformly spaced or aligned,” although Kersten believes these counterfeit identifying marks are rare. One sure way, however, to spot counterfeit bills is if several bills have the same serial number. “Face it, if you are running off thousands of those things, you aren’t going to bother changing the serial numbers,” he said.

[More from 24/7 Wall St.: Nine Most Common Airplane Accidents]

5. The Paper
SecretService.govReal bills have tiny red and blue fibers embedded in the paper, and counterfeiters have tried to replicate those. Ink marks can be printed onto the paper to look like hairs, Kersten said. He also noted that people have used cat or human hair that is dyed red or blue to embed into the bill. At close inspection, however, it is clear that the hairs are on the surface of the fake bill and not embedded into the paper. “But most people don’t even look for the hairs anymore because you have to look really closely,” Kersten said. “That is why the government put bigger things to look for in [the bills].”

6. Starch
At many grocery and convenience stores, clerks will use an iodine-based counterfeiting pen. The pen reacts to the starch in the paper. If the bill is real, the ink turns yellow. But if the bill is counterfeit, it will turn a dark blue or black. “Most counterfeiters don’t bother to use starch-free paper. They just use paper that simulates the color, thickness and look of real currency,” Kersten said. “But if your counterfeiter is good, they will use starch-free paper.”

7. The Feel
The feel is probably the most common way that people detect counterfeit, Kersten said. Real currency has a “raised texture” to it because of the type of press used to produce the bills. Counterfeit bills feel flat because they are often made digitally or on an offset press. People who handle a lot of cash “can just notice that something doesn’t feel right,” Kersten said. From there, other factors can be used to determine whether a bill is counterfeit.

8. The Watermark
The watermark is the shadow of the portrait that appears when you hold the bill up to light. “That is one of the easiest ways for the common citizen to identify counterfeit versus genuine,” DeSantis said. Periodically, there are people who attempt to recreate the watermark, he added, but it tends to be of very poor quality. The people who do try to imitate the watermark use bleaching, Kersten said. People at stores usually only care that there is a watermark within the bill, he noted, but the watermark portrait must actually match the printed portrait to be genuine.

The preface and the postscript of "History of Microbiology", with comments from readers

One must live in happiness, and acquire wisdom

Happiness comes from optimism

Wisdom, from the study of history.

[Microbial infection has been the greatest threat to human life since the beginning of our history. How did our knowledge of medicine evolve from the superstition to the recognition of bacteria, virus, vaccine, sterilization, to antibiotics?This book, “History of Microbiology”, compiled the biographies of more than 250 most famous people in human history, who had contributed to our understanding of the medical science. Unlike other history texts, this book introduced the development of medicine by presentation of these pioneers’ biographies in chronological orders, appended with numerous stories of their times to help understand the social and cultural background of those times. The book is availble at www.hochitw.com. 360 pages, NT600=US$20]

Preface

Of the 10 most important medical developments in history, 3 are related to the microbiology.These are: the discovery of microorganisms, the development of vaccination, and the discovery and mass production of penicillin.It is apparent that until the modern era, infectious diseases have been the most important element of medicine.

While reading the biographies of some of those great scientists who made major contributions to the improvement of human health, it occurred to me that if their biographies could be compiled and the historical and cultural background of their time were appended, it would be a very interesting book to medical students or the lay people to look deeper into these pioneers’ lives, and in the meantime, one could understand the history of Europe and America from a different angle.Further, with the recent development in the Internet search and the digital photography, one may collect related information rather easily.Organization is what it takes to finish a book.

This “History of Microbiology” is written in Chinese and the readers will be those with some interest in medicine. However, after inquiring friends who had a preview of the book, they thought there are enough interesting anecdotes to attract readers from non-medical professions. English has become a common language in science, therefore there are many English terminologies.Name of the people are in English so the readers can further search the topics if needed.Some basic knowledge of English pronunciation will help.

Next, the term microbiology here refers to a broad science encompassing immunology, infection control, technologies involved in the study of microbiology and infectious diseases, and antimicrobials.Besides the use of the biographies to illuminate the evolution of the human knowledge, people and events mentioned in the stories, though unrelated to medicine, are explained in some detail, in order to view the broader picture of the time. The author’s opinions and personal experiences are also included occasionally, to reduce the distance between the readers and the author.

This book was organized by first categorizing those who had major contributions to medicine into 7 chapters: 1. Development of germ theory; 2. Discovery of bacteria; 3. Immunology and vaccines; 4. Infection control and anti-sepsis; 5. Technologies in microbiology; 6 Development of antimicrobials; and, 7. History of virology.The scientists were arranged according to the chronological orders, and their biographies or anecdotes were collected from the first 2-3 pages of the google search, mostly from the Wikipedia, Biography, or Nobel Lectures.Basically, it is a work of search, translation and redaction.

The more famous the people are, the more stories there are about them, and the more time was required to do the work. There is a limitation of how detailed the stories could be and how much time could be used to do the search, however. Every kind of history book has its limitations.The most important principle is to include information that are of interest to readers, and the content not to deviate from the fact.What is the interesting information?Whatever description of the scientists’ background, anecdote, and the experience that led to the discoveries, would not only be interesting, but may also stimulate the minds of the readers.

The description of the diseases, such as rabies, syphilis, tuberculosis, leprosy, AIDS, etc, are quite detailed, and were adopted from the author’s “Handbook of the Communicable Diseases Control”, with updated information.

The content of the biographies from the Internet sources were assumed quite accurate.Wikipedia cited references where needed.The accuracies of the content of this book should be as good as those in Wikipedia.However, some errors are probably unavoidable, and therefore, stories from different sources were compared when necessary. (There was a report in Nature in 2005, the error rate of Wikipedia was in the same level as that in the Encyclopedia Britanica. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia).Information regarding Japanese scholars was obtained from the Japanese Wikipedia.

In the scientific papers, all data cited needed to have their origins recorded in the Reference section.In this book, although many materials cited could be referred to a website, however, many information are probably common knowledge in Europe or America.It would be pointless to make notations of all the websites where the information came from, and therefore were omitted, except for those that involved controversies or criticisms.

In contrast to some books, index is quite detailed to make search easier, and is presented in English and in Chinese.

This History of Microbiology is quite different from previous medical history books.1. It uses biographies to present the evolution of medicine.Thus, the readers could understand how the new knowledge developed and the full picture of the pioneers’ lives in more detail. 2. Those people introduced here were not necessarily medical scientists, and medical and non-medical stories are intermingled to make it more colorful and of interest to broader range of readers. 3. As many digital photographs were shown to deepen the impression of the people or events. (Originally near 300 pictures were included, however, they were later drastically reduced due to the publisher’s concern of invasion of the copyright.)

It is hoped that this book could be enjoyed by both medical and non-medical professionals, to see the history of Europe and America from a different perspective and learn the evolution of medical knowledge at the same time.Suggestions from the readers are welcome. Please post them in my blog (google search “clement hsu, md”).

Clement C.S. Hsu, MD, FACP, FIDSA

Postscript

The completion of this book was the result of assistance by many. Mr. Liu CA, his wife Ms. Wu SF, Dr. Ma YL, and my brother Chris Hsu, all helped me with the initial proofreading of the typescript.  Mr. Rong JH, my niece Hsu Tsuey-lin, and attorney Ms Wu Yih-jen helped me in many other ways. Computer expert, Mrs. Ma Chen ML’s tireless work in the design of the typescript layout, revision of figures and printing of initial drafts were more than invaluable. Dr. Chou CI (Miyaguchi Hiroshi), who translated more than a dozen Japanese medical textbooks into Chinese, strongly recommended this book to the Hochi Publishing Company.  I am most grateful to them.  And my wife’s constant encouragement has energized me to finish this book within a year.

  Although attempts were made, I regret that there are many insufficiencies, such as not including important scientists into the main list in the content.

History has shown that only the scientific method can reveal the truth of the nature and result in the understanding of the world we live in. Once the superstition is broken, within 2 hundred years, there has been an explosive expansion of our knowledge that helped improve the health and welfare of our society.  The only powerful force that is responsible for the progress is clearly the basic, instinctive urge for a man/woman to prove that they existed in this world, and that their existence is more visible than others.  This competitiveness between human beings, between he/she and I (or self and not-self), is undoubtedly the key driving force behind the progress of human kind. Why do we have the distinction of self and not-self is so far the most mysterious phenomenon of our existence.

These biographies reveal that great pioneer scientists are able to make major discoveries in many works they are involved in, and that there are important common traits in their personalities.  These hallmarks appear to be the prerequisite in their success. Besides their unflagging enthusiasm, meticulous attitude, and familiarity in the details of their work, they are very observant, highly curious and persistent. They can identify small irregularities and recognize their significance. Further, they are confident in their own observations, not afraid to be different from others, and do not retreat upon hails of criticisms. These characters could be the result of inheritance or the education in their early childhood.

However, opportunities play a very important role in our lives.  Despite the best efforts, there may still be many obstacles that can hinder fine students’ access to an appropriate research environment. In this over-populated society, family obligation may supersede the enthusiasm and talent of a great mind.

There are more than 1.3 billion people on this earth.  The degrees of their “success” vary from one to another, some very prominent, some not. However, there is no need to be envious of others and feel inferior or self-abased.  Some people observe the stars, space and natural phenomena; some study microbes, molecules and atoms.  Some are interested in the history and humanities, and some show their concern to people in their own vicinity.  All of us have our own goal, fields of endeavor, and are working to improve the welfare of fellow human being in some way.  The activities of each one of us drive us to a better life, and are only a very tiny part of the human existence.  We must give successes loud applause.  To those whose activities are limited, we do not ignore the potential of their effort and the future prospect.

The accomplishment in our life is comparable to having half a glass of water.  One may feel sorry that the glass is half empty; and one may also be satisfied that the glass is half full.  Every day, we should live happily, be productive and must make our lives meaningful. What is a meaningful life?  The ethicist Michael Josephson wrote a poem, “Live a life that matters”, that is most enlightening.

Live a life that matters
Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won't matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.
It's not a matter of circumstance, but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.

[Oncologist Prof. 徐龍雄 的comments]

 

Hi, Chris :
Thanks very much for letting me know the final publication of your
brother's book.

As I read the book from your previous mail, I realize that this is a
very important book short of monumental work. I plan to buy three copies : one for myself, one for my younger brother, who is a molecular biologist and virologist and had published a book introducing the history and science of virology to lay public, one for my student whom I feel is destined
for medical research. In fact, as I said before, this book should be
a required reading for all medical students, if I were a dean of medical school. It is interesting and inspiring at the same time.

I was very much touched by the PS section which I haven't read before.  It's essentially a distillation of medical research into metaphysical realm.

It was my happiest day when I spent night and day in the lab of national cancer institute doing research. The achievement of fundamental medical progress are always made by those investigator who dedicated their lives to uncovering the mysterious life process that ultimately leads to medical progress and saving of millions of lives. No, they are not thinking of achieving fame. By merging themselves with the objects of their studies, they ascend into a spiritual level that encourages inspiration that leads to breakthrough. This is the same with literature, art and music. All the Nobel Prize winners were surprised when they got nominated or got the prize. Your brother, Ching Hsiaw, has personally gleamed the essence and the spirituality of the pioneer worker through his extensive research of their biography. For this, Ching Hsiaw has made a very significant contribution to the medical education in Taiwan, if not the whole world (if he publishes his work also in English).

I suggest that he also publish in the form of Ebook, which also can be
downloaded to Ipad or Kindle Fire etc. In ebook format, the web linkage can be clicked and the readers can instantly go the website of reference for further in-depth understanding of material. This is my penny's thought.

Thanks again for the information. Please relay my sincere
appreciation to your brother for his work.
Long

****************************

[這是詹德勝教授(同學)的反應]

 

千呼萬喚始出來! Conguatulations on your book making grand entrance to the world! And on receiving such reader's praise!

I would like to buy three copies of the book and donate them to the Department of Bacteriology at the NTUMC. Two of them will be awarded to two 4th-year medical/dental students who perform best in microbiology, and one to the first-year microbiology graduate student. I understand our alma mater is now using a small-group integrated teaching method, and subjects of microbiology are taught in different "blocks." So, it may be difficult to identify high achievers on the subject in the undergraduate class. I will let the department to set the criteria.

I am writing a greeting card to Prof. 楊照雄, as I do every year, with a letter explaining this, and ask him to transmit my intent to the chairperson.

TS

********************************

[以下是一位三碩士學位的護理背景女士的讀後初部觀感]

許教授

我流覽全書,第一的感覺是:
1.圖文並茂,字體字間的視覺在閱讀上不會有壓力.
2.我故意送一本給同事的高三女兒閱讀,我認為此書可以讓非醫學背景者閱讀起來不會生澀.
3.以前讀李白的詩,但對李白的生活一無所知,只知李白二字,所以讀起詩來空泛無味,相對地此書引起我對病與菌的生活式認識,以及會想再深探它的好奇心,也就是說,此書在可以引發我的注意,卻有不夠深入了解之憾,但您多有交代可追蹤之線索.

4.我喜歡"按"的內容方式,這是您個人的想法或是經驗加以強化該段文的註解,例如若沒有p28您對Bois-Regard的精蟲之評說,我或許只是流覽文字過去了,沒停下來思索此人在當時的毀譽遭遇;另外一則是痲瘋,您提供了您診斷過的二的個案的心情.也就是說,"按"能讓讀者更親近於現實狀況,不會遙不可及的想像.

5. p20 --梅毒段的第二行文字排版:應該是"只有臨床上表現",但排錯成"只臨有床".

以上是我大致流覽之下的直覺感受,細節或內容上的評語,待我細讀後再補上.

我很欣賞您寫書的過程,我覺得這本書是您對自己一生所學的一種整理性回顧,看似是在做您人生的美麗ending.

我希望您能再健康幾年!
祝 平安
 

導致美國經濟目前窘境的十個人

Nov. 21, 2012, 6:00 a.m. EST

10 people who led us to the ‘fiscal cliff’

Commentary: From Laffer to Obama, they fed our greed and guilt

By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — With our political leaders locked in a fiscal struggle that threatens to throw the economy off a so-called cliff and into recession, you might be wondering how we got to this place.

Remember that this supposed fiscal cliff is the direct result of two contradictory impulses in American life: Greed and guilt. Greed for low taxes, a strong military, a strong safety net and lots of government spending for everyone. And guilt that we weren’t paying our way. Read “Stop calling it a ‘fiscal cliff’”

All of us (or almost all) had a role in this melodrama, either benefiting from the spending or from the lower tax rates. Despite our culpability, it took strong national leaders to foster the heady mix of greed and guilt that brought us to this spot.

Here are the 10 people most responsible for bringing us to the edge of the fiscal cliff:

The Laffer Center

Arthur Laffer. Laffer was the economist who proved the existence of the free lunch. His Laffer Curve showed, in theory, that cutting tax rates would actually increase tax revenue. He gave intellectual cover to those conservatives who wanted to cut taxes, but who didn’t want to be seen as contributing to a big deficit. He gave them a guilt-free way to cut revenue.

There’s only one problem: Laffer’s ideas didn’t pan out in practice: Tax cuts don’t pay for themselves. Tax cuts are a major cause of our $16 trillion national debt.

Getty Images

Pete Peterson. If there’s one person who we can blame for making us feel guilty about the federal deficit, it’s Peterson, a hedge-fund billionaire who was a Cabinet secretary in the Reagan administration. Peterson founded, funded or supported most of the institutions in Washington devoted to publicizing the problem of the deficit, including the Concord Coalition, the Peterson Foundation, The Fiscal Times, and the anti-deficit documentary “I.O.U.S.A.”

Without Peterson’s billions and the guilt it bought, the deficit would be a fringe issue.

Reuters

Bill Clinton. President Clinton made budget surpluses look easy. The budget was in the black the last four years of his administration. What’s worse, he made surpluses look like a sure thing.

Clinton’s surpluses were partly the result of Washington going on a serious budget diet, with higher taxes paired with moderation in spending. But it was the booming economy – and higher taxes on capital income — that turned the modest deficits of the early Clinton years into surpluses.

By the time Clinton left office, politicians were beginning to talk about perpetual surpluses, in exactly the same way that hucksters on Wall Street were talking about a perpetual bull market. And with exactly the same outcome.

Getty Images

Alan Greenspan. Greenspan was a high priest of both guilt and greed. He had always warned Congress about the dangers of the deficits, but his biggest failure as Federal Reserve chairman was the day in 2001 he told Congress that the worst thing it could do was pay down the debt because that would destroy the Treasury market and the Fed’s power to control the economy.

That was the day he endorsed the Bush tax cuts. The Maestro’s endorsement gave intellectual cover to the conservatives who wanted to cut taxes, but who didn’t want to feel guilty.

Greenspan also catered to our greedy side as a serial bubble-blower. He inflated the housing bubble in the 2000s by keeping interest rates low and by refusing to regulate the shadow banking system.

Getty Images

George W. Bush . No one is more responsible for racking up our debt than Bush. He campaigned in 2000 promising to cut taxes in order to avoid paying down the national debt. And when the recession of 2001 arrived, he said tax cuts would revive the economy. And when the economy didn’t revive, he cut taxes some more. Tax cuts for all occasions. And it was all guilt-free.

Getty Images

Dick Cheney. While Bush was busy cutting taxes, Cheney was busy planning the war on terror. For the first time in our history, we sent our military into battle without raising taxes at home to help pay for it. It added trillions to the debt.

Reecon Advisors

David Lereah. Lereah was the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors and was perhaps the most enthusiastic and public cheerleader for the housing bubble. Even after the bubble began to deflate, Lereah still insisted that real-estate investments would never lose money.

Of course, Lereah didn’t cause the bubble all by himself, but he does embody the greed that engulfed the real estate industry, the Wall Street banks that profited from it, and the homeowners who took on more debt than they could ever hope to repay.

The housing and credit bubble led to the collapse of the financial system in 2008 and was the direct cause of the Great Recession and the ensuing $1 trillion-a-year deficits.

Getty Images

Grover Norquist. As the head of a powerful lobbying and campaign-finance organization, Norquist forced almost every Republican office-holder to sign a pledge to never raise taxes under any circumstance. If anyone declined to sign or dared to violate the pledge, Norquist would back a primary challenger. The threat worked.

The Norquist pledge blocked any possibility of a budget deal between Democrats and Republicans over the past two years. Democrats insisted that any plan to balance the budget must include more revenue as well as spending cuts, but Republicans held solid against any tax increase.

There are signs that Norquist could be losing his hold on the party. Several Republicans won elections this year without signing his pledge, and several incumbents have said they don’t feel bound by the pledge any more.

Reuters

Barack Obama. Obama may be the perfect representative of our age, because he encapsulates our national schizophrenia over the budget. He honors both the greed and the guilt. He presided over the largest deficits in history, including a large fiscal stimulus, bailouts of the auto industry, and an expansion of the safety net.

But Obama also lectures us about the need for the government to tighten its belt, even during a recession. He wants to raise taxes, if only on a few, and he’s expressed willingness to cut into the great middle-class entitlements. It was Obama’s administration that first suggested the bargain in 2011 that created the fiscal cliff.

Reuters

John Boehner. The House speaker is trapped in Grover Norquist’s world. He’s a pragmatic legislator who accepts that the government needs more revenue, but his caucus in the House doesn’t agree. In the summer of 2011, Boehner nearly forced the nation to default on its debt because he couldn’t deliver the votes necessary to raise taxes.

In the end, Boehner was forced to punt the problem down the road. Today’s fiscal cliff showdown is the result of Boehner’s inability to lead the House Republicans to a deal.

 

"微生物學史" 介紹

 

筆者編著的《微生物學史—開天闢地的醫學拓荒者》經過漫長的編修過程，即將在今年十月底由合記圖書出版社出版發行 [抱歉!將再度延後到十一月底才能出書，唉!!]。以下兩篇文章：序文和後記，是出版前宣傳的一部分！在網路資訊爆炸的時代，出書、宣傳不容易，但如果書的內容完整豐富，能夠提供讀者有趣的資訊，又有詳細的索引可供快速查詢，相信這樣的「好書」還是有「網路搜尋」遠遠比不上的好處。

[將可以上網訂購: hochitw.com]

 

*******

 

人生要活的快樂，也必須充實智慧。

要快樂，需要樂觀；

要智慧，最好先了解歷史。

 

微生物感染自古就是對健康最大的威脅，致使人類傷亡最主要的原因。人的知識如何從迷信，發展到認識細胞、細菌、病毒、疫苗、滅菌、抗生素、診斷、到醫療？ 這一本 「微生物學史」，為讀者彙集了超過兩百五十名從古希臘時代開始，對醫學發展有貢獻的人物傳記。有別於以往的醫學史，它附加了很多歷史故事，呈現微生物學的演變經過。以下是這本書的「序文」及「後記」。

 

序文

在醫學史上十大發現中，有三項和微生物感染直接有關： 微生物的發現、種牛痘的發展、盤尼西林(penicillin)的認識及大量生產。由此可看出，傳染病、感染症是人類史上最重要的疾病，也是到近代 (modern era)為止「醫學史」的骨幹。

近來仔細從網路搜尋引擎查閱這些大發現的關鍵人物傳記，發覺如果將歷史上對這門學問有貢獻的人物生活史收編，將會比看教科書上以「事」為主體所描寫的發展史，更有趣；而且將傳記中的「人」、「事」、「地」都予以查詢簡介，可以窺見歐洲歷史文化發展的一端，以後對歐洲的訊息可能會有更深層的感受。再者，最近十多年來快速研發的「網路搜尋」、「數位相片」，使我們可以坐在家裡，就查得出大多數所需的資料、圖片。因此決定從網路資料撰寫「微生物學史--開天闢地的醫學拓荒者」，和大家分享。

這本拓荒者傳記集的讀者群，將是以中文為主要語言者，並具有基本英文常識，對醫學、衛生、生理、健康及歷史有興趣的人士。筆者徵詢身邊親友、學生，平時就喜歡閱讀的人，覺得這本書收錄很多有趣的歷史故事，即使未必全瞭解、吸收，仍可學到不少醫學和非醫學的常識。

英文是科學、醫學的共通語言。用英文能查詢到更完整的資料，讀者也能再做各方的查證。因此本書人名、地名、醫學專有名詞等還是用英文書寫
(除非已經成為日常用語的名詞，例如巴黎、羅馬、倫敦、紐約、雅典、納粹、拿破崙、維也納，等等)。作者也希望學生讀者習慣使用英文，因此很多句子，都附有英文。

其次，這裡所謂的微生物學將包含廣泛的對抗微生物感染的學問，如免疫學、感染控制、檢查微生物所需技術、抗微生物藥劑等等。除了用主要有貢獻人物的傳記來傳達歷史的演變，還有不少微生物學、免疫學名詞的簡單介紹、當時對科學發展有主要影響的人物，更納入很多題外話：當時和傳記主角有些關聯的人、事、地的介紹、還有筆者的小意見(括弧內以「按:」表示)。目的是一方面要瞭解當時的歷史背景，一方面是要使內容免得落於枯燥而使讀者失去興趣。這本書不像一般的傳統教科書，但是希望讀者仍能從其中吸取細菌學、免疫學、病毒學等的基本概念演變過程。

這本傳記集的寫法是：對微生物學感染症學有重大影響的歷史人物，先分類為七個章節，各章內的人物大約依照其生年排列，把從網路搜尋所得第一、二頁中，內容比較詳細的數篇傳記做為主要參考資料
(例如：Wikipedia、Biography、Nobel Lectures等)，予以摘譯、編排、整理而成。有時會採用更多其他記載趣事的文章做為參考。基本上是一種搜尋、翻譯、編輯(search,
translation and redaction) 的作業。書中介紹的學者總共超過兩百五十名，醫學名詞或是歷史故事也有六十餘件。

越是有名的人物，傳記越多，就得花更多時間瞭解、比較。可是廣泛的題目只能深入到某一地步，有些重要學者也只能短短地介紹。各種版本的傳記，都有其極限，最重要的原則是要有足夠有用有趣的資訊，更不能和原來的歷史、文意有偏差。什麼是有趣的資訊？對人物的生長背景，以及對「發現」、「研究」過程的描寫，不僅「有趣」，還可能刺激或鼓勵讀者的進取心、好奇心，應該都是有趣有用的資訊。讓讀者吸取古人的做事精神、增強求知慾、穩固自信心，或讓讀者對醫學微生物學產生興趣，是這本書的最高目的。有很多「人」、「事」、「物」的簡介不一定和微生物、傳染病、感染症相關，而且還可能比主要傳記人物的介紹更詳細，或同樣地有趣。(例如，討論阿拉伯學者Avicenna，也順便簡單介紹阿拉伯名字的寫法；Koch去過的VelikiBrijun Island觀光地的歷史；哥倫布的西航；第五章技術的發展，就提到玻璃及影像醫學；美國軍醫Walter
Reed駐軍西部就提到Geronimo、Panama Canal；其他還有英國內戰、Spanish-American War、愛滋病出現的經過等等)。

 

內文提到的某些疾病，例如狂犬病、結核病、痲瘋、愛滋病等，會予以相當詳細的介紹，以便醫學生不必再查閱其他書本就可以學習。(這些資料採自筆者「傳染病防治手冊」第二版，再加入新的知識)。

 

做為參考資料的英文傳記都應該是具有相當正確的內容 (日本學者的資料是由日文Wikipedia及其他日文網路文章取得)。Wikipedia都會簡介其參考文獻，但有時還是會有錯誤的報導，因此盡可能參考多篇文章比較；本書的內容可信度和這些網路上查到的文章應該相同(2005年科學雜誌Nature報導，Wikipedia內容的錯誤率幾乎是大英百科全書Encyclopedia
Britanica的水準：

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia）

 

過去寫學術論文，資料出處是一定要註明期刊的年份、卷號、頁碼。不過這本書內的人、事、地，等等，雖然花了很多時間深入搜尋，可是有些可能是大多數歐洲人的常識，每項都寫下出處網址，無意義。反過來說，最可靠的傳記寫法，是要作者成為專業的醫學歷史家，精通拉丁文、法文、德文、義大利文，到歐洲各國圖書館查閱相關最原始資料，這對我當然是不可能的事。我相信網路上Wikipedia,
Biography, Nobel Lectures的內容不是來自野史，因此判斷不必要一一詳細簡介文獻出處。不過難以找到的資料、對學者的批評，還是會指出其來源。

 

英文索引比中文索引詳細 (因為人名地名都還是使用英文，只在各章的大綱，加以 「英文姓」 的中文譯音)，是這本書很重要的一部份，因此也詳細地製作。學者出生地名、進修大學名稱也都盡量納入索引中。如此，以後到歐洲某一地方學術訪遊，可以從這本書的索引，查出該地曾經有過甚麼名學者工作過。讀者如果能夠善用索引，可以查得到很多本書內容。人名要用中、英文的「姓」查詢；大學則可以查英文或中文，例如：「Giessen大學」、「倫敦大學」等等。

這本「微生物學史」的寫法和過去的歷史書不一樣：一、它利用史上多位有成就的學者傳記來呈現歷史的演變，如此，對「發現」的過程及其背景會有更深切的認識；二、它將微生物學和其他學問的學者，以及將醫學知識和非學術的歷史故事混合介紹，以便使內容比較柔和生動、也讓讀者對當時的時空背景有進一步的瞭解；偶爾又有筆者的意見，以便拉近讀者和作者間的距離；三、它的資料完全依靠新發展的網路科學；又利用同樣地有革命性進步的數位技術，用個人的相片增強對 「人」的印象。

作者期待醫學或非醫學背景的各類讀者會將這本 「微生物學史」，拿來輕鬆地玩賞，同時吸收醫學的歷史及知識。也希望讀者將它作為參考書，多多利用目錄及索引的查詢，各取所需。

讀者們如有任何意見，敬請不吝賜教。(可留言在筆者部落格中，對筆者這本歷史傳記集的呈現法及內容給予意見、評論)。

許清曉 醫師謹識

Clement C. S. Hsu, MD,
FACP, FIDSA

2011 / 05

 

後記

這本「微生物學史—開天闢地的醫學拓荒者」能夠完成，筆者得先感謝多位親友的鼎力相助。劉長安先生及其夫人吳淑芬女士、馬玉麟醫師以及舍弟許清陽等幾位的校讀修改及鼓勵；榮金煥先生、姪女劉徐翠琳、和吳宜臻律師很寶貴的援助；馬夫人陳美玲老師以她精通的電腦技術、出版電腦教科書的經驗，無數次不厭其煩地修改、編排、檢查圖檔來源、畫圖、註解；譯著十餘本教材的周振英醫師的強力推薦；最後又經過合記出版社編輯們的精心修繕及編排等等，筆者心中的感激難以言表。而內人玉麗不斷的鼓勵及支持則是筆者能維持高度熱忱，在一年內完成這本書的原動力。不過，雖然筆者盡力蒐尋，企圖將大部分歷史上偉大微生物學拓荒者傳記納入書中，相信還有很多重要學者被遺漏，是令筆者遺憾的事。

歷史很有趣，可以讓我們從中學習；歷史很重要，不會使我們重犯同樣的錯誤。幾乎所有科學拓荒者共通的特質就是，在研究過程中，他們熟悉作業細節、有敏銳的觀察力、有強烈的好奇心、能夠發覺小小不尋常現象，認出其重要性，又能設法堅持追究到底。我們不能再犯的錯誤，就是以非理性、非科學的方法判斷世界上各種事物。

回顧過去偉大學者生平，他們多數在其他研究工作上都有很可觀的成績。除了「智力」的遺傳之外，觀察力、創意、有信心、不怕被批評異常、敢於堅持己見等特質，可能也是每位天生的、或是小時就養成的「性格」。實際上，不僅要有這種「性格」，「際遇」更是使這種人成功的重要因素。「際遇」有某些部分是要靠自己的努力、以及好的EQ(emotional
quotient)，不過有時確實是力不從心，天不時與。「智力」、「性格」及「際遇」我們多半難以掌控或改變，其餘的，我們還可以盡人事。

兩千年來的醫學，一旦開始以理性、科學的方法研究，就如同幾何級數般地快速發展，不知止境。筆者相信推動這種「創意」、「創新」的基本原動力，來自人類「生存競爭」過程中最原始的本能行為：每一個人的潛在意識中都要呈現「我在這世界上存在過」，更要呈現「我的存在」比他人的更顯著。人與人互相競爭是社會進步的最主要原動力，而有「我」與「他」
(「自我」與「非自我」)的區別，更是地球上生物最神秘、尚不可解的現象。

地球上有數十億人口。每個人在一生過程中，隨著其能力及機運，在人世間的「能見度」有高有低，或大或小，或亮或暗。不過，我們不必羨慕別人，也不必誇大自己或過度謙虛自卑。有人觀察天體星球宇宙，有人研究細菌分子原子，有人調查歷史地理人文，有人關心社區老少人心，各有自己努力的小園地。有人能夠發揮最大的能量，我們應該出聲給予最大的讚賞、鼓勵、與祝福；有人影響力侷限在鄰近的人群環境，我們也不忽視它帶給這些人的愉悅及將來的可能發展。每一個人的活動都是推動人類福祉的一個小螺絲。

 

人生努力的結果就像是有半杯水，我們可以因為水沒有滿杯而耿耿於懷，也可以因為擁有半杯水而知足惜福。我們生在此世，就是要過一個快樂的、有用的、有意義的人生。什麼是有意義的人生?
有一位美國倫理學家Michael
Josephson寫了一首很熱門的詩：”Live
a life that matters”，可以共享。原文相當長，所以擷取中文翻譯「有意義的人生」後半段於下，作為結束：

 

『人生中什麼事情是重要的？人的價值要如何衡量？

重要的不是購買什麼，而是建造什麼；

不是得到什麼，而是付出什麼。

重要的不是自己的成功，而是做了哪些對人有益的事。

重要的不是自己學到什麼，而是教導了別人什麼。

重要的是對每件事全力以赴、心懷悲憫、充滿勇氣、或奉獻犧牲，

讓他人因此更富裕、更有能力、或受到鼓舞。

重要的不是能力，而是優良的品格。

重要的不是認識多少人，而是離開後能讓多少人懷念。

重要的不是在浮世傳揚聲名，而是在愛您的人心中留下回憶。

重要的是讓世人記得多久，是什麼樣的作為使人感懷。

快樂的生活並非來自偶然，也非命中注定，而是自己一連串的選擇。

選擇有意義的人生吧！』

                                                       
(全文完)

 

 

美國最不尋常的一位總統--杜魯門

Thought you'd enjoy this!

It's one you want your Children and Grandchildren to read.

They won't believe this happened, but it DID.

Harry & Bess

(This seems unreal.)

Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made
as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of
the other 42 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may
rest on what he did after he left the White House.



The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in
Independence Missouri . His wife had inherited the house from her mother and
father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire
lives there.



When he retired from office in 1952 his income was a U.S. Army pension reported
to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his
stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a
retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.



After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to
Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them.



When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating,
"You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't
belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale."



Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal
of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don't
consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award,
Congressional or otherwise."



As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.



Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the
Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found
a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices.
Political offices are now for sale (cf. Illinois ).



Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life
were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell
the truth, there's hardly any difference!

 

Legal jokes for free

 

A man went to his lawyer and told him, "My neighbor owes me $500 and he doesn't want to pay up. What should I do?"

"Do you have any proof?", asked the lawyer. "Nope," replied the man.

"Okay, then write him a letter asking him for the $1,000 he owes you," said the lawyer.

"But it's only $500!" replied the man.

"Precisely, that's what he will reply and we will have the proof we need," said the lawyer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The professor of a Contract Law class asked one of his better students, "If you were to give someone an orange, how would you go about it?"

The student replied, "Here's an orange."

The professor was outraged."No! No! Think like a lawyer!"

The student then replied, "Ok. I will tell him - "I hereby give and convey to you all and singular, my estate and interests, rights, claim, title and advantages of and in, said orange, together with all its rind, juice, pulp and seeds, and all rights and advantages with full power to bite, cut, freeze and otherwise eat, the same, or give the same away with and without the pulp, juice, rind and seeds, anything herein before and hereinafter or in any deed, or deeds, instruments of whatever nature or kind whatsoever to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A dog ran into a butcher shop and grabbed a roast off the counter.

Fortunately, the butcher recognized the dog as belonging to a neighbor of his. The neighbor happened to be a lawyer.

Incensed at the theft, the butcher called up his neighbor and said, "Hey, if your dog stole a roast from my butcher shop, would you be liable for the cost of the meat?"

The lawyer replied, "Of course, how much was the roast?" "$7.98."

A few days later the butcher received a check in the mail for $7.98.

Attached to it was an invoice that read: 'Legal Consultation Service: $150.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The lawyer's son wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, so he went to law school. He graduated with Honors, and then went home to join his father's legal firm.

At the end of his first day at work he rushed into his father's office, and said, "Father, you know what, in one day I managed to solve the accident case that you've been working on for 10 years!"

His father responded: " You idiot, we lived on the funding of that case for 10 years!"