18.5.13
歐洲彩虹地圖
2013年5月18日 星期六
國際反恐同日 荷王后接「歐洲彩虹地圖」
【明報】國際反恐同日（International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia）會議周四起一連兩日在荷蘭海牙舉行，荷蘭新任王后麥克西瑪（Maxima‧左）從國家教育文化及科學部長畢斯馬克（Jet Bussemaker‧右）手中接過「歐洲彩虹地圖」，後者反映歐洲各國在承認同性戀、雙性戀和跨性別人士（即所謂的「LGBT」群體）上的情。 （法新社）
moon
Meteor strike with moon causes massive explosion
The most powerful meteor strike on the moon ever observed has just been announced by NASA. A March 17 strike on the moon caused an explosion equal to five tons of TNT and could have seen with the naked eye, said Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "It exploded in a flash many times as bright as anything we've seen before," said Dr Cooke. Hundreds of meteoroid impacts on the moon, including the brightest detected on March 17, 2013, marked by the red square. Photo: NASA "Anyone looking at the moon at the moment of impact could have seen the explosion, no telescope required. For about one second the impact site was glowing like a fourth-magnitude star." Advertisement NASA's Lunar Impact Monitoring Program – now in its eighth year – has observed 300 strikes on the moon, according to manager Robert Suggs. "We have seen a couple of others in the "wow" category but not this bright," said Dr Suggs. "It jumped out at me. It was so bright." The impact was caused by a meteor only about 40 centimetres across, weighing about 40 kilograms, according to NASA. Its explosive impact came from its speed – 25 kilometres per second. It caused a 20-metre-wide crater, which will be photographed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter on its next pass over the impact site. The meteor hit a part of the moon known as the Mare Imbrium, Latin for "Sea of Showers". Dr Suggs detected the strike on a video made by the program's 35-centimetre telescope. Because there is no atmosphere to vapourise incoming meteors – which is the case on Earth – strikes are very common on the moon and explain its cratered appearance. About half of the strikes are associated with major swarms of meteors such as the Perseids and the Geminds, according to NASA. The rest are random bits of space rock – comet or asteroid debris. NASA are trying to work out which category the March 17 strike falls into. On the same night as the impact, there were unusually large number of bright meteors observed in Earth's skies, said Dr Cooke. "These fireballs were travelling in nearly identical orbits between Earth and the asteroid belt," he said. "This means that the Earth and the moon were pelted with objects from about the same time. My working hypothesis is that the two events are related." On March 17 next year – when the Earth-Moon system passes through the same region of space – the program's astronomers will be keeping a close watch, said Dr Cooke.
An artist's illustration of a meteor impacting the moon, resulting in an explosion visible from Earth.
Hundreds of meteoroid impacts on the moon, including the brightest detected on March 17, 2013, marked by the red square.
The most powerful meteor strike on the moon ever observed has just been announced by NASA. A March 17 strike on the moon caused an explosion equal to five tons of TNT and could have seen with the naked eye, said Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "It exploded in a flash many times as bright as anything we've seen before," said Dr Cooke. Hundreds of meteoroid impacts on the moon, including the brightest detected on March 17, 2013, marked by the red square. Photo: NASA "Anyone looking at the moon at the moment of impact could have seen the explosion, no telescope required. For about one second the impact site was glowing like a fourth-magnitude star." Advertisement NASA's Lunar Impact Monitoring Program – now in its eighth year – has observed 300 strikes on the moon, according to manager Robert Suggs. "We have seen a couple of others in the "wow" category but not this bright," said Dr Suggs. "It jumped out at me. It was so bright." The impact was caused by a meteor only about 40 centimetres across, weighing about 40 kilograms, according to NASA. Its explosive impact came from its speed – 25 kilometres per second. It caused a 20-metre-wide crater, which will be photographed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter on its next pass over the impact site. The meteor hit a part of the moon known as the Mare Imbrium, Latin for "Sea of Showers". Dr Suggs detected the strike on a video made by the program's 35-centimetre telescope. Because there is no atmosphere to vapourise incoming meteors – which is the case on Earth – strikes are very common on the moon and explain its cratered appearance. About half of the strikes are associated with major swarms of meteors such as the Perseids and the Geminds, according to NASA. The rest are random bits of space rock – comet or asteroid debris. NASA are trying to work out which category the March 17 strike falls into. On the same night as the impact, there were unusually large number of bright meteors observed in Earth's skies, said Dr Cooke. "These fireballs were travelling in nearly identical orbits between Earth and the asteroid belt," he said. "This means that the Earth and the moon were pelted with objects from about the same time. My working hypothesis is that the two events are related." On March 17 next year – when the Earth-Moon system passes through the same region of space – the program's astronomers will be keeping a close watch, said Dr Cooke.
Hundreds of meteoroid impacts on the moon, including the brightest detected on March 17, 2013, marked by the red square.
11.5.13
綠色
綠是彩色：一地雜草都係寶
2013年05月11日
【蘋果日報】我最近寫的書，全部和死亡有關，不斷出入殮房、殯儀館、醫院，採訪了不少自殺家屬、孤兒寡婦，心理壓力大到爆燈。難過時，就會走到花園，摘幾粒桑子、看着檸檬慢慢長，再剪一枝朱頂紅插在書枱的玻璃杯。
這陣子連場大雨，野草在花園瘋狂開派對，拔草成了我的「心理治療」，寫稿寫到頭昏昏，拔兩把草當做運動。
只是讀了黃盛璘的漫畫書《草盛園》，原來野草也不用全部拔掉。
黃盛璘曾經在台灣漢聲雜誌、遠流出版當了二十多年編輯，後來在美國遊學取得園藝治療師的認證資格，2004年回台灣就開始從事園藝治療。我們都知道薰衣草好香，泡茶可以甜甜入睡，但在歐美國家薰衣草不過是門邊雜草，隨便長一大堆，可是來到濕熱亞洲，卻是矜貴難種。黃盛璘最特別，是從本地的雜草挑選可以用作治療的品種：「用來改善身、心、靈的植物，首要的條件是『生命力強』，也就是好種。」黃盛璘說，有甚麼比野草更有力？
先略略介紹園藝治療在香港的發展。早在2005年，香港園藝治療中心已經成立，2008年亦有香港園藝治療協會不斷開辦課程，受訓包括社工、教師、輔導員、職業治療師。園藝治療主要是透過種植，讓人們親近大自然，並且觸發視覺、嗅覺、味覺、聽覺、觸覺，從而治療情緒抑鬱、認知障礙等等，特別適合小朋友、長者、弱能人士或情緒受困的人們。
像在撒瑪利亞防止自殺會的防止自殺中心，便有一個小小的「心靈花園」，一些自殺者的家屬會一起種盆栽，那其實只是靠窗的一張長枱，居然也野心地種着沙律菜、車厘茄。
回到台灣，黃盛璘的一對朋友夫婦，渴望田園生活在山裏買了一塊地，也很歡迎黃盛璘去種植。她第一次去，風景好漂亮，女主人卻拿着鐮刀、男主人扛着割草機，正和野草搏鬥：「我女兒都叫這裏做『草盛園』，雜草怎都拔不光！」女主人苦笑：「『草盛園』這名字好好啊！」黃盛璘反而看中雜草的生命力。
一般人都以為野草是來「搶營養」的，會阻礙花卉或農作物，一定要拔光，可是野草的花也很美，不少野草不但可以食，更有藥用價值，就是因為長得太容易，而被嫌棄嗎？
黃盛璘說草其實是土壤很好的「外衣」，可以保護表土養份不被雨水沖走，也不怕烈日把泥裏豐富的微量元素曬死。她對着植物圖鑑找出名字和屬性，如果是一年生的，放心，不會無止境地長，如果那根是鬚根系的，也不用緊張，短短的鬚根正好抓住鬆動的表土。細細篩選後，黃盛璘在「草盛園」只拔掉三種草：越長越大叢的「芒草」、太強勢的「芒箕」，和繁殖力太驚人的「含羞草」。
黃盛璘又整理出「十種居家必備藥草」，對長者小孩都有突出的治療功效，同時又容易種、並且可以運用各式園藝技巧：播種、扦插、葉插及根莖繁殖等。這十種植物也盛長於香港：一：消炎聖品「左手香」、二：天然抗生素「魚腥草」、三：醫草「艾草」、四：居家良藥「蘆薈」、五：養眼良藥「薄荷」、六：抗氧化「番薯葉」、七：解酒提神「石蓮花」、八：養生大師「薑」、九：全身是寶「葱」、十：萬靈丹「蒜」。
例如黃盛璘會教腦退化的婆婆種薄荷，薄荷只是插枝就可以種，非常粗生，嗅着已經一陣香氣，泡茶，婆婆喝了緩緩想起小時爸爸也泡過喝。香港鄉間常見的魚腥草，摘時真的滿手魚腥臭，可是煲水後便沒有腥味，「草盛園」的男主人用來止咳，女主人呢，最愛用艾草泡浴。
香港人常看外國烹調節目，也想隨手摘香草，其實在這大熱天，最易在廚房窗邊種的，除了薄荷還有九層塔。在《草盛園》裏有一章：黃盛璘朋友的姐姐自殺了，黃盛璘帶着心情極壞的朋友上山去田裏。
在山裏一鏟一鏟地鏟土，朋友聽到了「安靜」，漸漸地，摸到泥土的感覺，看到遠近的山巒、感受到周圍涼涼的空氣。黃盛璘給了一把九層塔的種子，那是媽媽最喜歡拿來煮菜用的──朋友想起香氣、想起親人，童年記憶回來，原本零落四散的自己也像拼圖一樣，逐漸合攏過來：「我好像可以回去上班了。」朋友下山時說。
這就是大自然的力量。
2013年05月11日
【蘋果日報】我最近寫的書，全部和死亡有關，不斷出入殮房、殯儀館、醫院，採訪了不少自殺家屬、孤兒寡婦，心理壓力大到爆燈。難過時，就會走到花園，摘幾粒桑子、看着檸檬慢慢長，再剪一枝朱頂紅插在書枱的玻璃杯。
這陣子連場大雨，野草在花園瘋狂開派對，拔草成了我的「心理治療」，寫稿寫到頭昏昏，拔兩把草當做運動。
只是讀了黃盛璘的漫畫書《草盛園》，原來野草也不用全部拔掉。
黃盛璘曾經在台灣漢聲雜誌、遠流出版當了二十多年編輯，後來在美國遊學取得園藝治療師的認證資格，2004年回台灣就開始從事園藝治療。我們都知道薰衣草好香，泡茶可以甜甜入睡，但在歐美國家薰衣草不過是門邊雜草，隨便長一大堆，可是來到濕熱亞洲，卻是矜貴難種。黃盛璘最特別，是從本地的雜草挑選可以用作治療的品種：「用來改善身、心、靈的植物，首要的條件是『生命力強』，也就是好種。」黃盛璘說，有甚麼比野草更有力？
先略略介紹園藝治療在香港的發展。早在2005年，香港園藝治療中心已經成立，2008年亦有香港園藝治療協會不斷開辦課程，受訓包括社工、教師、輔導員、職業治療師。園藝治療主要是透過種植，讓人們親近大自然，並且觸發視覺、嗅覺、味覺、聽覺、觸覺，從而治療情緒抑鬱、認知障礙等等，特別適合小朋友、長者、弱能人士或情緒受困的人們。
像在撒瑪利亞防止自殺會的防止自殺中心，便有一個小小的「心靈花園」，一些自殺者的家屬會一起種盆栽，那其實只是靠窗的一張長枱，居然也野心地種着沙律菜、車厘茄。
回到台灣，黃盛璘的一對朋友夫婦，渴望田園生活在山裏買了一塊地，也很歡迎黃盛璘去種植。她第一次去，風景好漂亮，女主人卻拿着鐮刀、男主人扛着割草機，正和野草搏鬥：「我女兒都叫這裏做『草盛園』，雜草怎都拔不光！」女主人苦笑：「『草盛園』這名字好好啊！」黃盛璘反而看中雜草的生命力。
一般人都以為野草是來「搶營養」的，會阻礙花卉或農作物，一定要拔光，可是野草的花也很美，不少野草不但可以食，更有藥用價值，就是因為長得太容易，而被嫌棄嗎？
黃盛璘說草其實是土壤很好的「外衣」，可以保護表土養份不被雨水沖走，也不怕烈日把泥裏豐富的微量元素曬死。她對着植物圖鑑找出名字和屬性，如果是一年生的，放心，不會無止境地長，如果那根是鬚根系的，也不用緊張，短短的鬚根正好抓住鬆動的表土。細細篩選後，黃盛璘在「草盛園」只拔掉三種草：越長越大叢的「芒草」、太強勢的「芒箕」，和繁殖力太驚人的「含羞草」。
黃盛璘又整理出「十種居家必備藥草」，對長者小孩都有突出的治療功效，同時又容易種、並且可以運用各式園藝技巧：播種、扦插、葉插及根莖繁殖等。這十種植物也盛長於香港：一：消炎聖品「左手香」、二：天然抗生素「魚腥草」、三：醫草「艾草」、四：居家良藥「蘆薈」、五：養眼良藥「薄荷」、六：抗氧化「番薯葉」、七：解酒提神「石蓮花」、八：養生大師「薑」、九：全身是寶「葱」、十：萬靈丹「蒜」。
例如黃盛璘會教腦退化的婆婆種薄荷，薄荷只是插枝就可以種，非常粗生，嗅着已經一陣香氣，泡茶，婆婆喝了緩緩想起小時爸爸也泡過喝。香港鄉間常見的魚腥草，摘時真的滿手魚腥臭，可是煲水後便沒有腥味，「草盛園」的男主人用來止咳，女主人呢，最愛用艾草泡浴。
香港人常看外國烹調節目，也想隨手摘香草，其實在這大熱天，最易在廚房窗邊種的，除了薄荷還有九層塔。在《草盛園》裏有一章：黃盛璘朋友的姐姐自殺了，黃盛璘帶着心情極壞的朋友上山去田裏。
在山裏一鏟一鏟地鏟土，朋友聽到了「安靜」，漸漸地，摸到泥土的感覺，看到遠近的山巒、感受到周圍涼涼的空氣。黃盛璘給了一把九層塔的種子，那是媽媽最喜歡拿來煮菜用的──朋友想起香氣、想起親人，童年記憶回來，原本零落四散的自己也像拼圖一樣，逐漸合攏過來：「我好像可以回去上班了。」朋友下山時說。
這就是大自然的力量。
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