Lifestyle Game Changers in the Past 5 Decades

When contemplating the most impactful inventions that have reshaped lifestyles worldwide over the past half-century, it is difficult to dispute that the Internet, emerging in the 1970s and gaining widespread popularity in the 1980s, stands as the unequivocal pioneer. Its advent brought about a paradigm shift in the way we interact and communicate. Nowadays, the practice of sending physical letters or Christmas cards has become a rarity.

Then, in the 1990s, a remarkable development unfolded with the emergence of Facebook, masterminded by an MIT graduate Mark Zuckerberg. This groundbreaking platform revolutionized the way individuals, communities, and businesses connected with one another. As a result, the world witnessed an unprecedented proliferation of social media platforms that forever changed how information impacted people's actions and decisions. 

In 2007, Apple made a groundbreaking announcement - the iPhone. This revolutionary device completely transformed the world of personal portable communication. Not just a mobile phone, the iPhone introduced the concept of Apps, which in turn revolutionized entertainment and creative work distribution. It had a profound impact on the business landscape, leading to the demise of traditional models while opening up a multitude of new opportunities.

In the 2010s, Tesla revolutionized the electric vehicle industry, bringing about a surge in popularity. Prior to Tesla's emergence, electric vehicles were largely unappealing, and despite governments' attempts to encourage the adoption of green transportation, advancements were minimal. Tesla, however, successfully transformed the perception of electric vehicles through their introduction of impressive long-range capabilities, innovative designs, autopilot systems, and user-friendly interfaces.

Finally, in November 2022, a remarkable milestone was achieved when OpenAI introduced its revolutionary Large Language Model (LLM) chatbot application, CHATGPT. Within a mere five days, this innovative creation managed to captivate the interest of over one million eager users. Astoundingly, within just three months, its user base soared to an estimated 100 million individuals. The CHATGPT is no ordinary chatbot; it possesses the ability to provide insightful responses and analyze information in a manner strikingly reminiscent of human thought. As a result, it has become a game-changer, altering the lives of people across all professions and industries.

It is worth noting that all of these game changers were invented by Americans, with some originating from small business startups. This naturally prompts the question: What is it about Americans that fosters such creativity and enables them to have such a profound and far-reaching impact on the world? Would it be an environment of openness, general respect of diversity, unrestricted flow of information, and the freedom to think and talk?

December 31, 2023

問 Dear Myself 有什麼得意成就？

回顧過去幾十年的香港樂壇，幾乎每位傳奇歌手在某個階段都有一首由填詞人度身訂製的歌詞，用來總結他們事業的高峰或宣布歸隱時的成敗得失。如羅文的「幾許風雨」、張國榮的「有誰共鳴」、梅艷芳的「夕陽之歌」、譚詠麟的「無言感激」、徐小鳳的「順流、逆流」、陳百強的「一生何求」、溫拿的「千載不變」等，這些作品成為他們的代表作，也成為了流行經典名曲。

近期，廟街歌王尹光以他的新歌《Dear Myself》在網絡上發行專輯，突破了他過去一貫的老套唱腔，轉而以抒情流行曲風呈現。這首歌迅速在各個層面引起了極大的迴響，不論是普通街坊，還是樂壇和藝壇中的資深人士，無不對其讚不絕口，深感驚艷。大家都被薛晉寧的詞感動了，除了將尹光的經典「數毛毛」、「數波波」、「荷李活」、「十四座」巧妙地融入歌詞，也利用了尹光一生的「智慧與荒謬」引起廣大樂迷的共鳴。

尹光之所以引起樂迷的共鳴，正是因為他從未被譽為紅歌星，也沒有取得「什麼得意成就」，一生只是「無無聊聊從未太閃耀，在唱日日夜夜為博你一笑」，一直做自己喜歡的事，自嘲雖未能「進軍荷李活」但「過足口癮」。這種現實的演藝生涯，令不少圈中人感同身受。張家輝在一個訪問中談到此曲時，說聽後禁不住掉下眼淚。他何曾不是看著「這段旅程人來人往，細數著頭毛溜走」，也「聽過幾多落淚大笑歡呼拍手」。尹光能夠以感恩的心態接受現實，並說出「多麼感激有幸置身這裏望滿天星宿」的話語，令人深受感動。

尹光已經唱了50多年，現在將近80歲的他，不計較得失，依然繼續唱自己喜歡的歌曲。尹光的成功之道，就是他闊達的心態，「所得所失怎說起，轉轉心情人又照舊」，以及樂觀的性格，一句「有乜睇化唔化 玩個夠」，將不如意的事拋諸腦後，人就自然活得開心。你說尹光成功嗎？見仁見智吧！

人到了中年，「季節是歲月神偷」，自問「無無聊聊從未太閃耀」，沒有什麼得意成就可陳，尹光的《Dear Myself》為不少樂迷帶來最溫暖的安慰！難怪尹光於80歲高齡還能打進 2023年商台叱咤樂壇最受歡迎男歌手最後五強，預祝「光B」功成獲獎！

2023年12月27日