After conducting the Budget Speech of 2011, financial secretary John Tsang has been suffering a popularity slump. Simply speaking, the budget proposal sucks. Among different devils, the Government Injection Contribution (GIC) is the deadest one.
The government proposed to inject $6,000 to Hong Kong citizens who should have an account in retirement schemes under MPF or ORSO, as at 23 Feb 2011. This is GIC. Nobody is happy to it, either eligible ones or else.
People entitled to GIC bemoaned the unreachable future to cash in the "candy". Normally, we could only get our MPF stuff back when we are 65. So, GIC is a solid thing, but virtually untouchable. To rub salt in the wound, fund managers could reap the sow from our pocket, IMMEDIATELY. After the mini bond saga, fund managers are equally envied and disgusted. GIC could only increase our hatred of the riches getting richer.
Ineligible ones are a priori unhappy. However, GIC is outrageously unjust to a large group of those, the retirees. John Tsang said, one of the reason for GIC, is to protect the retirement life. If it holds water, then how come the retirees could get nothing from it? For example, the old and poor people, who have no MPF account, even are living under the poverty line, could never be benefited. In contrast, billionaires could get their share of $6,000, once they get a MPF account. So, does it mean our government is contended with the poor old people's way of life, say, by picking paper from rubbish bins to eke out their living?
That's why the "Bauhinia uprising" is brewing.
2011年2月25日 星期五
2011年2月24日 星期四
卡達菲的演講 - 20110224
在新聞裏，看見利比亞狂人卡達菲演講，可堪玩味。
講詞不明。但是，演講場地選址一絕。卡達菲曾於行官受美軍空襲，大難不死，可小女兒卻未能倖免。行宮因而變成「遺址」。但是，狂人未有推陳出新，選擇原汁原味保留殘骸，只在門前加建一個雕塑，是一個拳頭握毀一隻刻有USA字樣的戰機。其動機不言自明。想不到，「養兵千日，用在一時」，中國成語，在利比亞也適用呢！卡達菲就在此處演講。他的擁躉，看到此情此境，定受鼓動。
不過，修辭還修辭，魔鬼始終是魔鬼，無論穿唐裝還是軍服。會對國民開火的國家不多，利比亞是其中一個。正常人，只能希望卡達菲快快下台。
講詞不明。但是，演講場地選址一絕。卡達菲曾於行官受美軍空襲，大難不死，可小女兒卻未能倖免。行宮因而變成「遺址」。但是，狂人未有推陳出新，選擇原汁原味保留殘骸，只在門前加建一個雕塑，是一個拳頭握毀一隻刻有USA字樣的戰機。其動機不言自明。想不到，「養兵千日，用在一時」，中國成語，在利比亞也適用呢！卡達菲就在此處演講。他的擁躉，看到此情此境，定受鼓動。
不過，修辭還修辭，魔鬼始終是魔鬼，無論穿唐裝還是軍服。會對國民開火的國家不多，利比亞是其中一個。正常人，只能希望卡達菲快快下台。
2011年2月21日 星期一
Cramp - 20110221
Yesterday was the runner's day. Most of the avid runners joined the HK marathon, whilst I went for a long distance jog along Tolo harbour, painstakingly.
The HK marathon is very Hong Kong. The atmosphere is, positively speaking, "carnivalic". To be true, it is crowded and noisy. As a lazy runner, like me, it is always too early to wake up at 4 am and take a train from Sheung Shui to TST and prepare for this and that. Last but not least, running is a very individualistic sport to me.
So I turned to run in Shatin. After visiting a causal barber, I arrived in the sport stadium at 2pm. Along the usually packed trail, from Shatin to Tai Po, it was an unusually quiet Sunday. Cyclers came and gone intermittently. Runners could scarcely be spotted. There was no rain, albeit a bit cloudy, it was a nice day to run.
I kicked off smoothly. In the first half, I ran comfortably and enjoyed my day very much. However, after reaching the Yuen Chau Tsai Park, the turning point, I felt the "wall" in my body. According to my experience, it could be overcome after a while. Sadly, yesterday was not the day.
While reaching the Science Park, after around 15 km has been accomplished, my legs seemed to be running out of energy. I walked a while, hoping to rediscover the residue in my tank. It didn't work. My shanks, then thighs, even the hip, cramped chronologically. I could just manage to crawl back Shatin.
This was quite an experience. Having adapted to running for over ten years, I have never cramped during the course. Muscle stiffness is expected for jogging over 10 km. But cramp was quite a different animal. You just could not overcome it, no matter how hard you've tried.
The HK marathon is very Hong Kong. The atmosphere is, positively speaking, "carnivalic". To be true, it is crowded and noisy. As a lazy runner, like me, it is always too early to wake up at 4 am and take a train from Sheung Shui to TST and prepare for this and that. Last but not least, running is a very individualistic sport to me.
So I turned to run in Shatin. After visiting a causal barber, I arrived in the sport stadium at 2pm. Along the usually packed trail, from Shatin to Tai Po, it was an unusually quiet Sunday. Cyclers came and gone intermittently. Runners could scarcely be spotted. There was no rain, albeit a bit cloudy, it was a nice day to run.
I kicked off smoothly. In the first half, I ran comfortably and enjoyed my day very much. However, after reaching the Yuen Chau Tsai Park, the turning point, I felt the "wall" in my body. According to my experience, it could be overcome after a while. Sadly, yesterday was not the day.
While reaching the Science Park, after around 15 km has been accomplished, my legs seemed to be running out of energy. I walked a while, hoping to rediscover the residue in my tank. It didn't work. My shanks, then thighs, even the hip, cramped chronologically. I could just manage to crawl back Shatin.
This was quite an experience. Having adapted to running for over ten years, I have never cramped during the course. Muscle stiffness is expected for jogging over 10 km. But cramp was quite a different animal. You just could not overcome it, no matter how hard you've tried.
2011年2月15日 星期二
果汁 - 20110214
話說，一個中大碩士生，名阿鵬，求職二百次皆碰壁，登上生果報頭版。
這真是典型的小題大造。首先，當今天碩士畢業生數量之多就如滄桑之粟，他們找不到工作，也不是甚麼稀奇事吧。再者，事主也懂得伸請綜緩，總不會餓死。那麼，阿鵬有甚麼份量上大報頭條？
當然是他的騎呢。阿鵬根本是古谷實筆下寄生蟲的倒模，典型的「高登仔」- - - 身型略胖，頭髮稍亂和油，架著土氣金絲眼鏡，瞪著小眼睛，皮膚白晢。明顯地，阿鵬長年對著電腦，缺少戶外活動。往模擬見工，跟職員說要喝「果汁」。天啊！先不論要喝果汁有多孩子氣及無理，就是要喝，也應該清楚說要那種吧？橙汁還是蘋果汁呢，老細？
生果報也實在是「捉倒鹿唔識脫角」。活捉阿鵬，應該多走一步，訪問阿鵬老豆老母，看其教子之道。這才能將教化「港孩」的整套絕活展現人前。
這真是典型的小題大造。首先，當今天碩士畢業生數量之多就如滄桑之粟，他們找不到工作，也不是甚麼稀奇事吧。再者，事主也懂得伸請綜緩，總不會餓死。那麼，阿鵬有甚麼份量上大報頭條？
當然是他的騎呢。阿鵬根本是古谷實筆下寄生蟲的倒模，典型的「高登仔」- - - 身型略胖，頭髮稍亂和油，架著土氣金絲眼鏡，瞪著小眼睛，皮膚白晢。明顯地，阿鵬長年對著電腦，缺少戶外活動。往模擬見工，跟職員說要喝「果汁」。天啊！先不論要喝果汁有多孩子氣及無理，就是要喝，也應該清楚說要那種吧？橙汁還是蘋果汁呢，老細？
生果報也實在是「捉倒鹿唔識脫角」。活捉阿鵬，應該多走一步，訪問阿鵬老豆老母，看其教子之道。這才能將教化「港孩」的整套絕活展現人前。
2011年2月8日 星期二
Mosaics - 20110208
We Hong Kong people are famous for lacking imagination. However, everything has an exception. On Sunday's night, I witnessed the creation of a piece of impromptu "mosaics", in a noodle shop.
The artist was a post-80s lady. She was having dinner with her boyfriend. Arrived later than the couple, and sitting next to them, we had our usual pick of the very delicious beef noodle. The taste was the same, heavenly. While we were praising our sacred cow, it ignited the lady's Muse. The lady challenged one of the waitresses for her misrepresentation, believed to be an innocent one, for the sold-out of beef noodle. The waitress said sorry.
However, the artist's mind has been stirred, who could stop the flow of her inspiration? No one. Picking up the finely-chopped spring onion by chopsticks, the lady put them down one by one, along the edge of the table. When the spring onion was exhausted, she, with a smiley face, asked her boy how the "mosaics" looked. The boy did his part.
This was the freshest piece of mosaics that I have come across. I did have the impulse to shot it down, and gave it a like in my facebook. Nevertheless, in the festive season, I was too lazy to do so. Poor.
The artist was a post-80s lady. She was having dinner with her boyfriend. Arrived later than the couple, and sitting next to them, we had our usual pick of the very delicious beef noodle. The taste was the same, heavenly. While we were praising our sacred cow, it ignited the lady's Muse. The lady challenged one of the waitresses for her misrepresentation, believed to be an innocent one, for the sold-out of beef noodle. The waitress said sorry.
However, the artist's mind has been stirred, who could stop the flow of her inspiration? No one. Picking up the finely-chopped spring onion by chopsticks, the lady put them down one by one, along the edge of the table. When the spring onion was exhausted, she, with a smiley face, asked her boy how the "mosaics" looked. The boy did his part.
This was the freshest piece of mosaics that I have come across. I did have the impulse to shot it down, and gave it a like in my facebook. Nevertheless, in the festive season, I was too lazy to do so. Poor.
2011年2月7日 星期一
萬宜水庫 - 20110207
年初二，到西貢遠足。由上窰入，至萬宜水庫，來回東西壩。十二時半始，六時十五分終。
天氣好得語塞。陽光普照，溫度適中，濕度也低，行山無得彈。上窰一段，有一點崎嶇。先上山，再下山，路面碎石不少，步步為營，趣味盎然。行一會，索性把上衣除去，來一個久違了的日光浴，最是舒暢。到萬宜水庫入口，時為二時許，啃一點麵包，稍歇一會，開始東西壩一段。
全條東西壩均為瀝青覆蓋，路是好走，但少了鄉土味。看見跑手三兩，非常佩服。因為，此處斜路頗長，路途亦遠，要跑畢全程，耐力意志皆不可缺。亦見露營者，一行五人，四男一女，沿途喧鬧不止。女的行了一會，便向男友詐嬌，嗔著正在「蘊釀」發水泡。男友也識趣，登時扶起女友玉腿，為其按摩，好不溫馨。至東壩，即「國家地質公園」所在地。破邊洲外海洋開闊無邊，人造堤岸和天然六角岩柱相映成趣，景色壯麗。只是，涼亭聚眾，賓賓印印高頻又重覆的聲調畫破長空，加上前述「露營五友」抵達，東壩迅間變成維園，開壇獨欠謝志峰。
惟有折返。為趕日落前到巴士站，我們加快腳步。間中雖有的士三數擦身而過，回程還是寧靜寫意。大段路，和另一家正常三口同行，途中遇見一牛。牛有牛行，人有人走，相安無事。天黑前，順利乘巴士離開。
新年遠足，遊人較少，山間樂濃些。如是閒時假日，碰口碰面也是「露營五友」般港男港女，談何野趣？
天氣好得語塞。陽光普照，溫度適中，濕度也低，行山無得彈。上窰一段，有一點崎嶇。先上山，再下山，路面碎石不少，步步為營，趣味盎然。行一會，索性把上衣除去，來一個久違了的日光浴，最是舒暢。到萬宜水庫入口，時為二時許，啃一點麵包，稍歇一會，開始東西壩一段。
全條東西壩均為瀝青覆蓋，路是好走，但少了鄉土味。看見跑手三兩，非常佩服。因為，此處斜路頗長，路途亦遠，要跑畢全程，耐力意志皆不可缺。亦見露營者，一行五人，四男一女，沿途喧鬧不止。女的行了一會，便向男友詐嬌，嗔著正在「蘊釀」發水泡。男友也識趣，登時扶起女友玉腿，為其按摩，好不溫馨。至東壩，即「國家地質公園」所在地。破邊洲外海洋開闊無邊，人造堤岸和天然六角岩柱相映成趣，景色壯麗。只是，涼亭聚眾，賓賓印印高頻又重覆的聲調畫破長空，加上前述「露營五友」抵達，東壩迅間變成維園，開壇獨欠謝志峰。
惟有折返。為趕日落前到巴士站，我們加快腳步。間中雖有的士三數擦身而過，回程還是寧靜寫意。大段路，和另一家正常三口同行，途中遇見一牛。牛有牛行，人有人走，相安無事。天黑前，順利乘巴士離開。
新年遠足，遊人較少，山間樂濃些。如是閒時假日，碰口碰面也是「露營五友」般港男港女，談何野趣？
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