2012年12月24日 星期一

黑灰白:警權低落 有法無天 - 太陽報

黑灰白:警權低落 有法無天

國家領導人訪港引起連串有關警方在遊行示威期間執法問題,監警會調查後指大部分投訴成立,政客藉而狂吼,幾乎要前任和現任保安警務官員排隊道歉,鞠躬下台。

遊行集會固是民權,參與者多能以理性和平態度參與。可惜,近年類似活動屢被激進分子騎劫,刻意製造警民衝突。身為公務員,一向盡量避免參加遊行示威,免為保安同事添煩添亂,但也曾偶然碰上三數次因遊行而引發的騷亂事件,見到暴民肆意挑釁警員,和有些記者濫用採訪自由而妨礙執法的場面,暴民的粗言穢語,記者的囂張跋扈,如非親自耳聞目睹,也難以體會前線執法人員的難處。

香港警務人員比起世界各地而言已經算是非常克制,幾乎達到打不還手、罵不還口的地步。尖銳的哨子、刺眼的閃光燈,都是暴民常用的武器,加上難以避免的身體語言接觸,前線警務人員所受的壓力非言可喻。按照上司命令維護好治安,到頭來得到的是紀律處分,被送上法庭破壞治安的暴民卻往往受到法庭輕判,別說是警務人員,即使如我一介草民,看在眼裏,也能感受其中荒謬。

政府積弱,促使人們積非成是,黑白顛倒。警務人員作為維護治安的標誌已是蕩然無存,受到好人壞人齊齊挑戰。警察執法無從,到頭來吃虧的終是守法市民。




2012年11月19日 星期一

Colonial flags a symbol of resentment, not a call for Hong Kong independence | South China Morning Post

Colonial flags a symbol of resentment, not a call for Hong Kong independence | South China Morning Post

The display of colonial-era flags in recent protests is more about an anti-mainland feeling than a substantial movement for independence, most of this week's SCMP Debate participants say.

The question arose when Global Times, a mainland newspaper run by the Communist Party, joined two former mainland officials in charge of Hong Kong affairs  to warn of growing "pro-independence" voices in the former British colony.

Lu Ping, former director of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said in a letter to the South China Morning Post last month that advocates for Hong Kong independence were "sheer morons".

Lu's former deputy, Chen Zuoer, said the pro-independence force – which was "spreading like a virus" – should be handled firmly.

But Kennedy Wong Ying-ho, a Hong Kong delegate to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a director of the China Law Society, said much fuss was being made of "people using freedom of demonstration to vent 'nostalgic' sentiment."

Ray Yep Kin-man, a politics professor at the City University, says it would be "an exaggeration" to equate flying the flags with the rise of a pro-independence movement. 

Alan Hoo SC, chairman of the Basic Law Institute,  said protesters should instead be brandishing copies of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which set out the terms under which Hong Kong would be governed after its return to Chinese sovereignty.

Dr Horace Chin Wan-kan  – whose keynote publication last year advocating Hong Kong becoming a city-state has inspired thousands of online followers  – says his campaign focused on local identity, "just like those states, city-states and dependencies that keep their historical coat of arms after joining a republic". 

A group calling itself "We're Hongkongians, not Chinese" on social network site Facebook says that the colonial flag carries global recognition and legitimacy.

The group's founder, Dickson Cheung,  said there was a spirit of "social-contract" upheld by many locals in which all kinds of interference by Beijing in local affairs was regarded as inappropriate. He says all exchanges  with the mainland "should be cut off".

Allison Wang,  from Anhui province and now a City University student, said exchanges between mainlanders and locals were necessary despite the latter's resentment against mainlanders like herself.




2012年11月14日 星期三

爽爆:國產干擾器 賭場樂園大小通殺 5,304

生果日報網上版
爽爆:國產干擾器
賭場樂園大小通殺 5,304 



國產干擾器殺入香港,能夠影響美國冒險樂園內遊戲機正常運作,由於干擾器體積小巧,就算有人用來出術,職員及其他客人也難於察覺。

不過是一場遊戲,仍有人不惜違法。早前在美國冒險樂園內,一名男子利用遙控干擾器向推銀機出術,15分鐘內騙取近3,000積分以換取500元珠寶現金券,最終被巡查的便裝警員撞破好事,失手被擒。有人被捕,相關犯罪產品卻推陳出新,《爽報》記者在深圳四處見有人兜售各類干擾器,價錢由200至800元也有交易,甚至聲稱連賭場老虎機也能干擾。狀似車匙的國產干擾器表面看來甚兒戲,然而經過專家測試,發現其所發出的高頻,確實能夠干擾電子遊戲機正常運作。利用干擾器玩遊戲機出術,雖奪得獎品有一時之快,卻分分鐘留下案底。撰文:劉歡、阮玲 攝影:胡堅、金文

「喂!呢度有專破解冒險樂園推銀機、夾公仔機的干擾器,小巧又好用,大人細路都開心!」深圳華強賽格廣場外圍,有大批手持硬卡紙的人神神秘秘,專向途人兜售各類國產新發明,包括「古惑」干擾器。
而古惑干擾器早在幾個月前已殺入香港,事情更鬧上了法庭。



國產干擾器外形兒戲,狀似車匙。 

深圳華強北路兩名蛇仔推銷多部干擾器,價錢200至800元人民幣,還聲稱可以干擾老虎機。 「老虎機都用得」

事源今年3月7日,兩名便衣探員到紅磡美國冒險樂園巡查,發現一名30多歲的男子站在一部推銀機前按動電子遙控器。探員覺得事有蹺蹊,盤查後,發現他靠手上的遙控器,令推銀機不斷收到已入代幣的假訊號,繼而騙取遊戲和積分,最終當場被拘捕。
原來,同類干擾器早在年前已開始在深圳兜售,更打正旗號專門破解冒險樂園多款電子遊戲機。
記者在深圳暗訪,被一班「蛇仔」包圍推銷,一名叫阿杰的男人在人群中尖聲稱自己是這一帶的批發商,還硬拉着記者到一旁游說:「這裏每個人都是跟我拿貨,所以我賣的價錢是最平,由200元人民幣到800元一個都有。」他煞有介事地拿出一個打火機大小的白色物體,聲稱是超級干擾器,自吹自擂地說:「加分和推幣都可以,就連賭場老虎機都用得,500元人民幣一個。」
最後記者買了兩部干擾器回港,為免觸犯法例,一開始便主動聯絡美國冒險樂園看能否進行實地測試,不過冒險樂園一口拒絕。記者嘗試到當日逮捕疑犯的黃埔分店,查問是否同屬一款遙控器時,職員也拒絕作答。
其後記者把兩部干擾器交給理工大學機械工程學系工程師盧覺強教授進行測試,教授和助手搬出自己的儀器,進行一連串實驗後,發現其中一部果然能夠影響電子儀器運作。
盧覺強教授指出這部干擾器能夠發出高頻波段,令附近的電子儀器強制受影響,相信該遙控器對於推銀機、夾公仔機等遊戲機都能產生干擾作用。



測試後,盧覺強指干擾器發出的高頻能干擾遊戲機運作。 

冒險樂園職員表示,公司仍未有關於處理干擾器的指引。 

機械技工用干擾器出術,早前被罰款6000元。資料圖片 最高罰款兩萬元

「好多人都知有呢類干擾器存在,但係就未見過有太多人明目張膽?用,呢啲犯法?事一般人唔會做啦!」一名不願上鏡的冒險樂園常客許伯就向記者爆料,他亦聽聞有人在場內利用國產干擾器出術,「其實國產干擾器有兩類,一類就係干擾入錢功能,令遊戲機誤信一直有人入代幣,咁就可以免費玩機,仲不斷累積分數。
另一類就係令遊戲機突然停機,停止部公仔機的搖動警報器,然後用手大力搖部機,直至公仔跌落嚟,又或者?幸運抽獎轉燈時停在大獎位置等功能。」
其實利用干擾器打機出術,賺的是蠅頭小利,卻分分鐘使自己留下案底。相關行為已觸犯「藉電訊而在未獲授權下取用電腦資料」,最高刑罰罰款兩萬元。


FruitDaily 2.0 Code by ManInNet


2012年10月18日 星期四

恢復Windows Vista的主引導記錄(MBR)

Windows Vista的主引導記錄(MBR)

升級了Ubuntu內核后,Xwindow進不去了,這個知道,重新安裝了nVidia驅動,然后發現,Windows VistaGrub的啟動菜單里消失了……

怎么重建grub的啟動菜單還不清楚,想到的是重建mbr先讓Windows啟動再說。

Windows Vista光槃啟動,里面有一個很不錯的啟動修復工具,自動診斷問題,發現我的Vista啟動信息不正常,於是修復。

但是,一重啟,看到的還是Loading Grub,然后居然是Error 22……

這就是這個修復工具的成果:衕歸於盡。

啟動光槃里還可以啟動命令提示符,於是打開輸入fixmbr,居然提示命令不存在。那我換XP的安裝光槃不就成了,換光槃,按電源重啟,進故障恢復控制台,"請選擇要登錄的Windows XP安裝"我知道情況不對了,"請輸入密碼:","密碼無效"……

完了,那fixmbr在那里呢?

查了微軟知識庫,原來Vista新搞了這么個東西:

Bootrec

命令:bootrec /fixmbr

好,解決問題,順利進入Windows。好了,Ubuntu的引導以后再說吧……

微軟知識庫文檔kb927392:

如何在 Windows 恢复环境中使用 Bootrec.exe 工具解决和修复 Windows Vista 中的启动问题

可以在 Windows 恢復環境 (Windows RE) 中使用 Bootrec.exe 工具解決和修復 Windows Vista 中以下項目的問題: • 主啟動記錄 (MBR) • 啟動扇區 • 啟動配置數據 (BCD) 存儲 注意:使用 Windows RE 解決啟動問題時,應該首先嘗試"系統恢復選項"對話框中的"啟動修復"選項。如果"啟動修復"選項不能解決此問題,或者如果必須通過較多個步驟手動解決此問題,請使用 Bootrec.exe 工具。

要運行 Bootrec.exe 工具,必須啟動 Windows RE。為此,請按照下列步驟操作: 1. Windows Vista 安裝槃放入光槃驅動器中,然后啟動計算機。 2. 在系統提示時按某個鍵。 3. 選擇語言、時間、貨幣、鍵槃或輸入法,然后單擊"下一步"。 4. 單擊"修復計算機"。 5. 單擊要修復的操作系統,然后單擊"下一步"。 6. 在"系統恢復選項"對話框中,單擊"命令提示符"。 7. 鍵入 Bootrec.exe,然后按 Enter

Bootrec.exe 選項 Bootrec.exe 工具支持以下選項。請使用適用於您的情況的選項。 /FixMbr /FixMbr 選項將與 Windows Vista 兼容的 MBR 寫入系統分區。此選項不會覆蓋現有的分區表。當必須解決 MBR 損壞問題或必須刪除 MBR 中的非標准代碼時,請使用此選項。 /FixBoot /FixBoot 選項使用與 Windows Vista 兼容的啟動扇區將新的啟動扇區寫入到系統分區。如果滿足下列條件之一,請使用此選項: • 啟動扇區已被替換為非標准的 Windows Vista 啟動扇區。 • 啟動扇區已損壞。 • 安裝 Windows Vista 后,安裝了早期版本的 Windows 操作系統。在此情況下,計算機使用 Windows NT 加載器 (NTLDR) 啟動,而不是使用 Windows 啟動管理器 (Bootmgr.exe) 啟動。 /ScanOs /ScanOs 選項在所有磁槃中掃描與 Windows Vista 兼容的安裝。此外,此選項還會顯示當前未處於 BCD 存儲中的條目。如果存在"啟動管理器"菜單未列出的 Windows Vista 安裝,請使用此選項。 /RebuildBcd /RebuildBcd 選項在所有磁槃中掃描與 Windows Vista 兼容的安裝。此外,通過此選項還可以選擇要添加到 BCD 存儲中的安裝。如果必須徹底重新生成 BCD,請使用此選項。

注意:如果重新生成 BCD 未解決啟動問題,則可以導出并刪除 BCD,然后再次運行此選項。這樣可以確保徹底重新生成 BCD。為此,請在 Windows RE 命令提示符處輸入以下命令: • bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup • c: • cd boot • attrib bcd -s -h -r • ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old • bootrec /RebuildBcd


這篇文章中的信息適用於: • Windows Vista Ultimate • Windows Vista Enterprise • Windows Vista Business • Windows Vista Home Premium • Windows Vista Home Basic • Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition


2012年10月8日 星期一

C.Y. Leung faces a long wait before his property measures take effect

C.Y. Leung faces a long wait before his property measures take effect | South China Morning Post

Property prices will remain high and may even continue to rise until the new administration's housing measures begin to kick in, industry watchers say.

Prices have soared throughout Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's first 100 days in office, breaking records despite a dozen measures to tackle the problem, and the setting up of a steering committee to devise a long-term housing strategy.

The committee meets for the first time this Friday. Last Friday, the Centa-City Index, which tracks changes in home prices in the secondary market, hit a record 110.14.

Prices of second-hand Home Ownership Scheme flats also rocketed after Leung announced in July a policy to allow 5,000 families to buy them at a discount next year.

In an interview with the Post last week, Leung said the overheated market was partly a result of the euro debt problem and also a result of "many years of un-production". "I'd be dishonest if I told Hong Kong the government had a quick fix," Leung said. "If we didn't do what we did in the last three months, the situation would be far worse."

Lawrence Poon Wing-cheung, a spokesman for the Institute of Surveyors' housing taskforce, said Leung's focus on raising land and housing supply was well placed, although some may have expected him to take more drastic measures.

"To existing homeowners, his policy is about right. To the twenty-somethings that cannot afford to buy or rent their own home, it's a failure," Poon said.

Poon said he expected that, the market would remain vulnerable in the coming few months until measures start to take effect in the next couple of years.

These will include the presale of 1,830 flats under two subsidised housing schemes for the middle-class; the sale of two sites in Kai Tak under the locals-only scheme; and the release of 9,000 new flats in the private sector.

The government has drawn up possible measures to dampen the market if it becomes heated up even more by external factors. Options being considered are believed to include a heavier special stamp duty, a special tax on foreigners' additional home ownership, a higher property tax rate, and a new value-added tax on earnings from property resales.

There are also other short-term measures the government could take to help stabilise the market, said Michael Choi Ngai-min, another committee member. The presale of the 5,000 new Home Ownership Scheme flats, which will be completed by 2016, could be started next year instead of waiting till 2014. Choi said.

Poon urged the Long-Term Housing Strategy Committee to think of solutions such as public rental housing for the lower middle class with a rent higher than existing levels.

Setting limit on HK tourists would be extremely difficult, say experts

Setting limit on HK tourists would be extremely difficult, say experts | South China Morning Post

Tourism veterans say it will be extremely difficult for the government to determine the maximum number of tourists Hong Kong can accommodate, as officials try to calm public anger at the influx of mainland visitors.

Last month authorities on both sides of the border reached a consensus on a plan allowing 4.1 million non-permanent residents of Shenzhen easier access to Hong Kong through multiple-entry visas.

The Hong Kong government said it would set up a mechanism to assess the city's potential to receive more travellers, while Shenzhen agreed not to change its permit rules until the assessment was finished.

While Chief Executive Leung Chung-ying has yet to reveal how the assessment will be done, two veterans who took part in the latest South China Morning Post debate warned it would be extremely difficult.

"How can the government draw a line and come up with so-called 'capacity'?" asked Michael Wu Siu-ieng, chairman of the Travel Industry Council.

Using the availability of hardware to determine a maximum capacity could flop as these numbers could be increased, he said.

"If there aren't enough [immigration] officers stationed at the border, the government can hire more. If there are certain times when the border is too busy, there can be co-ordination among travel agencies" to avoid long queues, he explained.

Tony Tse, an assistant professor at Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management, said the high proportion of same-day visitors made assessments difficult. From January to July, one out of two visitors was a same-day traveller who did not stay in any form of accommodation.

Multiple entries by one person also complicates the calculation of visitor arrivals, he said.

"A visitor arrives in Hong Kong, passes through the immigration, leaves Hong Kong to go to, say, Macau, or mainland China, returns to Hong Kong and passes through immigration again. This same visitor would be accounted for as two arrivals," Tse said.

Caroline Mak Sui-king, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association, said that the price inflation linked to the rise in visitor numbers reflected an acute shortage of retail space and lack of tourism planning.

2012年10月7日 星期日

Hairy crabs and other crackers

Hairy crabs and other crackers | South China Morning Post

Cracking into hairy crabs is one of my family's autumn rituals. My uncle always goes to his favourite shop to buy a huge basket of crabs - enough to give each of the 20 family members at least two each.

After a brief scrub with a toothbrush, they are steamed upside down (to stop the roe leaking out) and topped with a perilla leaf. The mint is said to remove what traditional Chinese medicine calls the dampness of the lake crawlers. And despite them still being hot enough to burn our hands, we just can't wait to pry them open and eat all the rich egg-yolk like roe from a female crab or the creamy gel-like transparent roe from a male crab, before tucking in to the hairy legs. ("Roe" from a male crab is actually sperm.)

The room is always quiet, except for the sound of us breaking the shells and extracting the meat from the legs.

Many species of crab are available at different times of the year, so the crustacean can be enjoyed year round. Chef Li Shu-tim of the Grand Hyatt's One Harbour Road has devised a menu to showcase many of the varieties now available in Hong Kong.

Other than hairy crab meat dishes - including one that is paired with deep-fried cod fillet for its light taste and smooth texture - red, green and spotted crab all receive different treatments at Li's hands.

"Crab congee is a very popular dish on the mainland, but I make it a bit differently here. Rather than putting the whole crab with shell into the congee, I steam the crab and use the juice to make the congee. I remove the meat and the roe from the crab to put into the congee so that it has all the flavours mixed together," says Li.

"Spotted crab - which Chiu Chow people like to eat cold - is quite salty on its own. So we steam it with a sweet and sour plum sauce for balance.

"For green crab, we braise it with butter, garlic and a generous amount of black pepper for a spicy tang. The meat shrinks while braising. That's why we use green crab for this dish as it's the meatiest."

Grilled taraba crab legs.

Kanizen in Wan Chai is offering some Japanese treats. Unable to find the fresh, cold-water Japanese crabs he adores in Hong Kong, owner Timothy Lau Shing-fai opened a restaurant two years ago that specialises in the delicacy. It is equipped with large tanks that can hold 200 crabs at the ideal temperature. No pre-ordering is needed, and all crabs are selected live before cooking.

The three kinds of crabs on offer - horsehair, matsuba and taraba - are flown in live three or four times each week from Hokkaido to ensure freshness.

"Taraba crab has the most meat and allows for a wide range of cooking, including grilling, sashimi, tempura and shabu shabu," says Lau.

"Horsehair crab is the sweetest and has the most roe, so we usually steam it or use it for shabu shabu. It has less meat, though, so can't be grilled or used for tempura or sashimi. Matsuba meat has a lighter taste, so steaming and sashimi work best."

Kanizen is offering a dinner set for the season which allows customers to try all three crabs at one sitting. The menu features matsuba crab sashimi, grilled taraba crab legs and shabu shabu, a winter dish.

"We suggest dipping tempura crab in green-tea salt. And we mix our own vinegar to go with our crab. It's not as sour as conventional ones, which will overpower the flavour of the crabs. Places that serve frozen crabs use very sour vinegar to mask fishy smells," says Lau. "Dishes such as the crab sashimi or shabu shabu require very fresh crab. You can tell whether it's fresh or not right away - there's no faking it."

Matsuba crab sashimi at Kanizen.

Kanizen plans to add crab kaiseki to its menu for a more refined dining experience. Lau suggests pairing spicy sake with grilled crab or tempura, and lighter ones with sashimi or shabu shabu so they don't overwhelm the dishes.

Other species such as Alaskan king crab have become a common sight at hotel buffets. For most Hongkongers, however, mid-autumn means choosing and cooking their own hairy crabs, known as mitten crabs in other parts of the world. But what should people look for when buying fresh hairy crabs?

Chef Chan Kwok-keung of Dong Lai Shun at the Royal Garden Hotel says a good crab is firm to the touch and looks plump, which shows it has lots of flesh. It should look alert when you touch its body. Its belly should not be dirty, which suggests the bottom of the lake where it was caught was clean, but not so white that it raises suspicions the crab has been bleached, which some unscrupulous traders have been known to do. Also, male crabs have a bell-shaped belly and females a round one.

However, if guessing the sex of crabs is not your thing, there are plenty of innovative offerings from restaurants this year.

Chef Lee Man-sing and food and beverage manager Sammy Wu of Man Wah at the Mandarin Oriental went to Jiangsu province to select crabs for this season. They come from a private farm belonging to Cheng Long Hang Crab Palace Restaurant at Lake Tai Hu. Lee says that because autumn arrived early this year, the crabs have spent longer in cooler water, prompting them to eat more and fatten up for the winter. A fat crab is a high-quality one.

"We also tried many different dishes from Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou. One of the dishes was sautéed hairy crab with salted fish - an interesting combination we got to know in Hangzhou that tastes so good we are recreating it at Man Wah," says Lee.

"We picked salty fish that are not so savoury - we only want their strong fragrance as it brings out the crab's freshness. And we've also added some glutinous rice cakes to absorb all the flavours - some people actually like the rice cakes better than the crab itself. We also use the whole crab - it's lavish."

In another nod to Cheng Long Hang Crab Palace Restaurant, Man Wah is serving a starter made at the Jiangsu restaurant - hairy crab marinated in a sauce containing several Chinese wines. The high alcohol content of liquors such as kao liang (a strong sorghum-based spirit) enhances the crab's fragrance and sweetness. The meat is jelly-like smooth, a pleasant contrast to the usual texture of cooked meat.

Man Wah's crabmeat pastry tart served straight from the oven is pleasingly rich - thanks to a well-made puff pastry case and the Parmesan cheese added to the top for richness and a savoury tang.

Like last year, Man Wah has flown in two kitchen staff from the Cheng Long Hang Crab Palace Restaurant to dress its steamed hairy crabs, which they can do in less than three minutes. Watching the skilful chefs in action is an education in itself, as they explain which parts of the crab are inedible - the star-shaped heart, the gills and stomach. They have also trained the staff at Man Wah to dress the crabs, hopefully eliminating embarrassing incidents such as leaving bits of shell in the meat.

Chef Chan of Dong Lai Shun says although part of the enjoyment of eating crabs is getting your hands dirty, serving dressed crabs means diners are free of the mess and it allows chefs to be more creative. Chan's method involves picking crabmeat out of a steamed crab before cooking it on a low heat with garlic, ginger, sesame oil, ground white pepper, chicken powder and sugar. The mixture can then be used as a base to create a variety of dishes.

Chan has come up with a range of new dishes this year; highlights include steamed hairy crabmeat with egg white and beer in young coconut, steamed chicken with crabmeat and shrimp paste, and deep-fried snake and crab roe served on a bed of crispy egg noodles.

The secret to the great flavours, Chan says, is the home-made crab oil added to his dishes. "It is made with 40 smaller crabs weighing about 160 grams each, ginger, shallots, scallions and vegetable oil, which are simmered for about three hours until the oil becomes golden brown with the roe diffusing through the whole pot," says Chan. "It is the juice of the crabs and a few drops of it adds intensity to a dish and brings out all its flavours."

Jacky Chan Kwok-leung of Tsui Hang Village in Tsim Sha Tsui has also given a new spin to traditional dishes, including steamed egg white topped with hairy crab roe and deep-fried wheat buns served with hairy crab roe.

"The amount of cholesterol in hairy crabs can be quite high, so adding wheat germ to the usually plain buns makes the dish healthier and adds a chewy bite," he says.

And all chefs remind people to down a cup of ginger tea, said to expel the dampness of the crab just like the perilla leaf, to wrap up the meal.

vanessa.yung@scmp.com

Mr Gay hopefuls vow to campaign for Aids awareness and against bullying

Mr Gay hopefuls vow to campaign for Aids awareness and against bullying
| South China Morning Post

They may have been battling it out for the right to be called Mr Gay Hong Kong - just don't call it a beauty contest.

The beautiful men were strutted around the stage in a Lan Kwai Fong nightclub wearing first swimwear and then formal wear - but organisers and contestants say the competition was about something far more important than looking good.

"Beauty gets you attention for the first few seconds, and then you can start talking about different issues," said organiser James Gannaban.

Co-organiser Anshuman Das said: "It's about picking a spokesman for the gay community, and a role model for younger LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] youth."

The winner was Benjie Caraig, a fitness trainer from the Philippines who will represent Hong Kong in the Mr Gay World 2013 competition, which will take place in Belgium next August.

He will also become this year's ambassador for Tongzhi Tsai, a campaign against homophobic bullying in Hong Kong schools. Contestants insisted they would continue to raise awareness about such issues even if they did not win the title. Donny de Silva, a corporate executive from Singapore, said: "I want to keep speaking out against homophobic bullying and about wearing condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids."

There were five contestants, one more than last year. Dickson Lau, the only Chinese contestant, said Hong Kong was becoming a more accepting place.

"I first started getting involved as a volunteer for LGBT events last year," Lau said. "I eventually told my mum I was volunteering in the community, and she didn't say much, but she knows that I'm gay now and I'm glad I told her."

Mr Gay Hong Kong is part of Pink Season, the largest LGBT festival in Asia, with events running until mid-December.

Swimming lesson lottery 'must end'

Swimming lesson lottery 'must end' | South China Morning Post

Government-subsidised swimming lessons are so in demand that applicants not only need to win a lottery for a class space, but must also enter a ballot for a place on the waiting list.

The crisis could be eased if swimming lessons were a higher priority in schools, said Alex Kwok Siu-kit, general secretary of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Lifeguards' Union.

Kwok said the ferry collision off Lamma and the recent tragic drowning of two teenagers at Shek O demonstrated that swimming lessons should be as important as classroom studies.

"I'm not discriminating against our nation, but our culture is so conservative and the government doesn't care about sports training," he said at the Tai Wai public pool where he works as a lifeguard.

"Many parents protect their children from outdoor activities, such as swimming and hiking."

This meant Hongkongers often lacked basic water skills, he said. Kwok added that a proposal by marine officials to force children to wear lifejackets on ferries was not the smartest way to protect young passengers.

"Instead, teach them how to swim," he said, noting that in some cases wearing a lifejacket can hinder a passenger's escape from a sinking ship. Giving children and adults basic water skills, such as being able to swim at least 100 metres, may mean fewer people drown, he said.

Kwok said if he had been on the doomed ferry with his family, he would have worried more for his wife than his children - she cannot swim while his two teenagers learned when they were three years old.

A lifeguard since the age of 16 years old, Kwok also called on the government to increase the number of subsidised classes as the cost of private lessons was beyond many families.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department's swim programme began in 2000 and costs HK$100 at public pools in the New Territories and HK$108 in urban areas for 10 one-hour lessons. One lesson at a private swim school can cost upwards of HK$200.

The LCSD is planning to increase swimming courses by seven per cent this year.

Swimming is not a compulsory part of the curriculum and the Education Bureau does not keep a record of which schools offer such lessons.

Kwok estimated that just one in five Hongkongers knew how to swim. "It should be higher than that. We are a rich city and surrounded by water.

"We should be better."

Beauty clinics boss says there is no evidence transfusion treatment works

Beauty clinics boss says there is no evidence transfusion treatment works | South China Morning Post


As three women lay critically ill after paying HK$50,000 for "anti-cancer" blood transfusion therapy, the founder of the DR beauty company that carried out the treatment, Dr Stephen Chow Heung-wing, admitted there was no evidence it worked.

The fourth woman to fall ill following the therapy is in stable condition and has been revealed as Chow's elder sister.

Chow faced the press yesterday and said all four were referred by the chain to visit one particular doctor. Three had the transfusion on the same day.

He said his staff had promoted the treatment as a "health therapy". Customers have some of their own blood drawn which is then processed to harvest the "cytokine-induced killer cells", or CIK, found in the white blood cells.

These CIK cells are multiplied in a culture solution then injected into the patient along with their own blood after two weeks. The growing process takes place in a laboratory also owned by Chow.

CIK fights problematic cells in the body, and should be able to kill cancer cells in very early stages, he said: "There is no evidence for that. Theoretically it should work, but it is not proven."

Since early this year, DR has referred 40 people to several doctors for the same DC-CIK treatment, which costs from HK$50,000 to HK$70,000 per blood transfusion. It has now called a halt to the therapy.

Although CIK blood transfusions are normally used to prolong the survival rate of cancer patients after surgery, Chow denied it was a medical treatment.

He said the chain had signed disclaimers with the doctors and clients, but was unsure if staff members selling the treatments mentioned the risks.

Medical Council member Dr Choi Kin said Chow should be held responsible in court if the processed blood posed a risk to clients. "It doesn't matter if he has signed any disclaimers with the others. If he hasn't informed the doctors or clients of the risks involved, the disclaimers do not stand."

The doctor involved was likely to face charges of professional misconduct for doing a blood transfusion without knowing its benefits and risks, he said, adding: "The clients paid HK$50,000, but they were treated as white mice [in laboratories].

"They are injecting unknown substances into bodies. All such injections should be registered and proven to be safe."

Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man was not convinced the treatment was "health therapy". According to Medical Council rules, a doctor should go ahead with a treatment only when it is deemed necessary or beneficial for the patient, he said.

"We have to wait for the investigation results before deciding whether we can or should prosecute a chain," he said.

A statement by the Civic Party last night pointed out that as DR was a beauty salon rather than a medical clinic, it was not monitored by the health department and there was no law covering the quality of service received by its consumers or patients.

The Civic Party and Choi called on the government to ban beauty centres from performing medical procedures.

The elected legislator for the medical sector, Dr Leung Ka-lau, said he would be submitting a private bill in the Legislative Council targeting beauty salons.


Tighter ferry safety laws in wake of tragic crash

Tighter ferry safety laws in wake of tragic crash | South China Morning Post

Boat owners could be legally required to keep a passenger log and ensure children wear a life jacket when they take people out to see firework displays, under laws the Marine Department is considering in the wake of last week's ferry tragedy.

"The passenger list and [children] wearing life jackets during firework displays are only guidelines now," said director of Marine Francis Liu Hon-por. "Under the guideline, if we find a problem, we may advise boat owners or issue a [warning] letter, but we cannot charge them."

However, such a law could prove hard to enforce and passengers may object to officers boarding vessels to check on them, he warned.

Because life jackets are found in different places on various vessels - some are in overhead compartments while others are under the seat - crew members may be required to brief passengers on their location and how to put them on, as in planes.

However, this may drive up the price of ferry tickets as more manpower may be needed.

Liu said the law states there should be enough lifejackets for every passenger, five per cent of which should be child-size. They must be easy for passengers to access and their locations should be clearly marked.

The department is expected to take about six months to investigate the cause of Monday's disaster, Liu said.

"The investigation will focus on whether the crew acted against regulations, the structure of the vessels and whether the safety equipment had anything inappropriate."

He has already ruled out heavy traffic as a cause, as the location of the crash, northwest of Lamma Island, was not busy.

As for reports a crew member, instead of the captain, was navigating the public Sea Smooth ferry on the night of the accident, Liu said initial investigations could not verify this. But he confirmed it was legal for a crew member to steer the ship under the captain's supervision.

The marine chief also said the department had been inspecting other vessels following the tragedy, to check for any breaches of safety regulations.

Meanwhile, at least six passengers who were on the public ferry that crashed have spoken to marine police at their temporary post in Yung Shue Wan on Lamma Island yesterday. The post will remain until tomorrow night and officers are urging witnesses to come forward.

The mother of nine-year-old girl Tsui Hoi-ying, who died on Friday night, was expected to leave Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital yesterday, said health chief Ko Wing-man.

2012年10月6日 星期六

Toyota, Nissan trim China production after protests

Toyota, Nissan trim China production after protests | South China Morning Post

Japanese automakers Toyota Motor, Nissan Motor and Suzuki are curtailing production in China in the wake of anti-Japan protests that shuttered dealerships and darkened their sales prospects in the world's top car market.

Nissan, Japan's top automaker in China, said it would halt production at a joint venture in China starting on Thursday, three days earlier than planned, and extending through next week's national holiday period.

A Toyota executive in Beijing, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was "likely" the automaker would cut output in China in the coming weeks. A Toyota spokeswoman said the company had no immediate comment.

Suzuki, meanwhile, said it had stopped one of two shifts that it normally runs in China.

Production slowdowns are a normal feature of the auto industry in mature markets like the United States, where they are used to keep inventories from ballooning and avoid pressure for automakers to offer deep discounts that erode profitability.

But the steps by the Japanese automakers to cut output in China are an anomaly in a market that has driven the industry's global growth over the past decade and where most automakers had been adding capacity until China's economic slowdown in recent months caused production to outpace sales.

The latest auto production adjustments come on top of general cutbacks Japanese auto makers had been making prior to the disruptions caused by anti-Japan protests.

Japan and China are at odds over a group of islands in the East China Sea, called Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan. A decision by Japan to buy the islands from private owners sparked the latest flare-up in tensions between the Asian neighbours that has smouldered since the end of the second world war.

Executives and analysts have said lingering resentment in China could hurt demand for Japanese cars, consumer electronics and other goods at a time when slowing growth in Asia's biggest economy may weigh on overall consumer spending.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Bin Wang said his checks with Japanese auto dealers in Guangdong province since the protests showed that sales were down on average by 60 per cent. The slowdown had boosted sales for German, American and Korean brands, he said.

"Dealers believe that the current sentiment on Japanese-branded cars could be longer than the previous island dispute in October 2010," he said in a research note issued on Friday.

China's economy grew at its slowest pace in more than three years in the second quarter. A factory survey in August showed China's manufacturing sector contracted at its sharpest pace in nine months.

The Asahi newspaper reported on Wednesday that Toyota would completely halt China production in October and stop all exports to China from Japan. The Toyota executive said that report was not accurate.

The Nikkei business daily said Toyota would add four days to a planned eight-day holiday closure at its mainstay plant in Guangdong province, which builds 30,000 cars a month, beginning on Wednesday and will operate only one shift instead of two when it reopens in October.

A Toyota spokeswoman said she could not comment but said the company would issue a statement later on Wednesday.

Toyota sold about 900,000 vehicles in China last year. It had set a target of one million sales this year – a target that now may be at risk – and a long-range goal of 1.8 million by 2015.

On a combined basis, Japanese auto makers had a roughly 19 per cent share of China's passenger car market in August before the protests. That was down from 20 per cent in July, according to China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Production at other Japanese companies has yet to return to normal more than a week after the biggest demonstrations, which at times degenerated into violent attacks on Japanese run stores and factories in China.

Panasonic, which closed three factories that were damaged in the protests, reopened the last one on Tuesday, but production at that component factory has yet to return to normal, a spokeswoman for the company confirmed.

2012年10月4日 星期四

Mother tells of 'miracles' that saved family as stricken ferry sank

Mother tells of 'miracles' that saved family as stricken ferry sank

Mother who slid down deck of sinking vessel, the Lamma IV, to grab lifebelts for her girls tells of 'miracles' that unfolded to save her family

A mother on board the Lamma IV with her family told last night of her life-or-death decision as disaster struck.

Hebe, 30, risked her own life by sliding down the slanted deck of the sinking vessel to grab two lifebelts to save her children.

But then an elderly woman asked her for one of them.

"I really hesitated," said Hebe, who was on her way back to the upper-deck cabin where her husband and daughters, aged six and four, waited.

"If I gave her one lifebuoy, I would have one less to save my daughters. In the end, I gave her one and went back to grab another. But by that time, the vessel had tilted more and I dropped into the sea."

Hebe made her dash down the deck against her husband's wishes and had to struggle to save her own life.

But she managed to help save others before learning hours later that the rest of her family had also survived the National Day collision between the Lamma IV and the public ferry Sea Smooth that claimed 38 lives.

She said her family was saved by a series of miracles.

After plunging into the sea, she found she was trapped underwater by a rope wound around her neck.

"I cried: 'Lord, save me'," the Christian woman, who did not want her full name published, said. "And after a while, the rope really unwound. So I swam up, but it seemed to take ages to get to the surface."

She then saved a struggling woman and her year-old son and helped them board a rescue boat. Meanwhile, the vessel had sunk into an increasingly vertical position in the water with her husband and daughters still trapped in the cabin.

The husband - who won a lucky draw with other Hong Kong Electric staff for the voyage to view the National Day fireworks - had time to untie only one of the tightly-attached safety vests from under the seats and gave it to his elder daughter, who knew how to swim, so he could concentrate on saving the younger child.

I felt a bit anxious, yet peaceful at that time. I knew the Lord had arranged the seats for us. After a while, those seats also fell into the sea and we fell near the hole in the glass.

"I told my elder daughter, in case of danger and if Daddy could not be with her, I would let her swim by herself so Daddy could take care of younger sister," he said.

He said he and his children were sitting on one of only two rows of seats that were intact and out of the water. One row was on top of them, with two to three adults.

All the other rows of seats had broken free and were now under water. "When the vessel turned 70 to 80 degrees it was just like a domino effect - all the seats fell down."

He said the situation in the cabin was too horrible to recall. He placed his two daughters, who he said behaved very calmly, between his body and the seats to hold them firmly for 20 minutes before divers came to break the windows.

"I felt a bit anxious, yet peaceful at that time. I knew the Lord had arranged the seats for us. After a while, those seats also fell into the sea and we fell near the hole in the glass."

They had to struggle to get through the hole as many people were also fighting to get into the tight space. The daughters and their father were rescued separately by two boats. The family spent over two hours in three separate hospitals before learning they were all safe.

Hebe recalled that they were sitting on the deck when their vessel was hit by the ferry.

Many people fell down and were injured, including the younger daughter, whose nose and eyelids were bleeding.

The family then took refuge in the cabin, where, she said, the "miracles" started to unfold.