來生不做中國人

原以為現今中國的種種畸型現像如貪污嚴重、置人類安危不顧的劣質產品充斥市場、環境汚染以至人民素質低落、欠公德心都是因為改革開放後的不平衡發展，曾天真地以為假以時日中國人會變得更進步文明。看過這書後才猛然醒覺這只是我的一廂情願，中國人的問題是兩千年來的積習。另外很多我以為只是香港人獨有的缺點如反智、功利、見人講人話等，現在我終於明白是中國儒家獨大、欠言論自由等的必然結果。

這書作者認為中國的道德淪亡是因為缺乏如西方基督教的道德制約，而儒家只提供形式主義的禮教，沒有發自內心的善惡觀和正義感，造就了現在中國社會種種問題，實在很值得大家反思。

最近在生活上經歷一些不公義，但眾人的反應卻出奇的冷淡。後來看到書中的這一句馬上豁然開朗：「善良的要龜縮，邪惡的四處招搖，無知的廢話連篇，狂妄的贏得支持，久居這個荒謬世界，我這個香港人也會瘋狂。」

BBQ

The first BBQ I've ever hosted. I've always hated this carcinogenic and environmentally unfriendly activity, but when in Rome...
I've been so busy with the RTHK project recently that I didn't spend any time preparing for this. Luckily everything turned out well. The temperature even dropped to a comfortable low 20s. The occasion is that Roger from Sri Lanka YMCA is in town to attend a training course, so I invited everyone from the Sri Lanka trip 3 years ago to come to my house for a welcoming BBQ. The kids have really grown up, and it's nice to know that they're still in contact with each other.

New Sarah!!!

我堅信我跟Sarah McLaughlin是有感應的，每隔一陳子我會突然想起她，然後google她的新消息時，總會發現她有新碟出。剛推出的精選碟是自03年的Afterglow後首次有新歌上台。碟內有兩首新歌，其中一首是單曲U Want Me 2,寫出剛宣佈婚姻破裂的她的感受，超好聽！

beastly injustice

I own the same breed of dog as a murderous tyrant! This is Putin's black lab, Koni, who made the news recently because his owner just fitted him with a satellite-tracking collar. Koni is almost as cute as Plato, I'll admit, but couldn't the autocrat get a Rottweiler, or at least a German Shepherd?

Thoughts

Who is the annonymous company source? Maybe he wants to stay nameless because he knows he's lying?
The key line: "But protests have so far have had little effect on ticket sales." What protests?

Hong Kong sees row over festivals

From Variety:

Written by Marcus Lim
Friday, 10 October 2008
Story Categories: Edko Bill Kong, Exhibition/theaters, Festivals, Film, Hong Kong, Internet, A dispute over ownership of the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, which starts today, has caused a schism between the two groups that organize it and sparked a break-away event.

Arthouse exhibitor Broadway Cinematheque stands accused of turning the fest into a private enterprise by nonprofit independent filmmakers group Ying E Chi, which has co-presented the last four editions with Broadway.

Ying E Chi reps allege that they have been pushed aside and accuse Broadway of using government money to subsidize what has become a commercial entity.
"We have invested over HK$1 million ($129,000) of our public funding and manpower to develop the HKAFF into the second largest film festival in Hong Kong," said Vincent Chui, a founding member of Ying E Chi. "It is unacceptable for Broadway to make it the private property of its parent company, Edko."
The allegations stem from competing claims of ownership of the fest's name. Earlier this year, the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival was registered as a private limited company by Broadway. Ying E Chi had previously attempted to register it and had been rejected.

Broadway declined to comment on Ying E Chi's charges. But company sources confirm that Broadway is now running the fest on its own and said it was Ying E Chi that walked away.

"In the beginning we said that we will both organize it the same as last year, but they said they would like to do their own festival by themselves," the source said.
Ying E Chi has already made plans for its own event in November, and, in an obvious dig at the incumbent, has called it the Hong Kong Asian Independent Film Festival.

It has launched an Internet campaign alleging that the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival has been usurped. But protests have so far have had little effect on ticket sales. Popular films like Taiwanese helmer Chung Mong-Hong's "Parking" sold out a week ahead of its screenings. Event closes Oct. 26.

亞洲電影節

影意志是個受藝術發展局資助的機構，過去五年我們投入過百萬元的公帤和無數人力資源把亞洲電影節建立成為香港第二大的電影節，現在百老匯電影中心把這個電影節據為己有，成為安樂公司的私人資產，是完全不能容許的。

今年年初我們跟電影中心商談本屆電影節細節時，已發現他們沒有合作的誠意。今年三月，我們打算註冊「亞洲電影節」的商標，電影中心的麥聖希建議不如一起註冊，但之後音訊全無，完全沒有回覆我們的電話和電郵，幾個月後我們發現他們已單獨註冊了「亞洲電影節」的商標，字款和logo也是跟往年一樣，電影中心就這樣以近乎欺詐的手法奪去了和影意志共同建立的電影節！

這件事不單是關乎電影節的路線問題，而是涉及一個私人公司侵吞用公帤建立的文化資產的問題，所以我們現強烈要求電影中心給我們一個合理的解釋！