彩云之南

City poverty

仲肥 — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:47:07 +0000

Today news cut

“A portrait of 21st century poverty” Amelia Gentleman, guardian.co.uk

Poverty has been an ancient social problem. It is sadder to learn the poverty scenario in city among us in the 21^st century. The unevenly distributed resources being lavished while someone, especially children are at the edge of hunger. It is even more sarcastic when a child lack of warming winter coat and many of us throw away clothes no where because they are out of trend. The single mother, Louise, in this article striving for a living and count every penny on what to spend reminds my childhood.

There were times of hunger, going to school without a winter coat and were detained after school waiting for my mom to bring me that coat. My mom, seldom pick me from school as she was at work and that every time, that uniform coat at 28 dollars was lent from a neighbor. It was almost twenty years ago and from that every time; I keep myself alert from poverty.

Poverty can never be swabbed only by the government policy. Government is a too big bureaucracy to fill every loophole of poverty in the society. That’s why charity organizations are formed to help in community where problem can be better tackled.

As an individual, one should well equip him/herself prevent that unfortunate happened. Education is one of the best routes to prevent disaster and condemn cycle to our children. However, there are always some irresistible factors across our lives that everything has been up side down in just a click. For example, sickness which no one would desire for but it always knocks over us without any caution. Now that is where the government should prepare, a life guard system in such occasion.

There is also a new form of poverty in the developed countries among CBD. It is called “the on job poverty”, which means people salary is too low to support the high living standard in some of the top cities in the world, say Tokyo, Hong Kong. This kind of employee is in every level of the society and industries. This is another portrait of 21^st century poverty.

Freelance Economy

仲肥 — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:45:50 +0000

Today news cut:

“In hard times, freelancers turn to the web” Dan Fost, The New York Times

Got axed from redundancy? Freelance work may be an exit. There are few freelance work websites where hundreds of thousands freelancers and companies found their matches. They are named as Elance, oDesk and Guru, search through Google and you surely find them. These freelancer matches are earning the service charge from employers or freelancers at 5%-10% according to their job payment.

Thinking of setting up one in China?! That’s probably a fortune business between the new employment policy and recession.

Examples are available at the following.

oDesk

Elance

Guru

Grass-mud horse

仲肥 — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:19:58 +0000

Today news cut:

“A dirty pun tweaks China’s online censors” Michael Wines, The New York Times

When most of the bloggers referred to the child song “grass-mud horse”, I don’t really got it. However, this piece make me understand thoroughly.

It is very depressing when the bullog got chopped off and I am not quite recover since.

Anyway, enjoy the english version grass-mud horse coverage while you can’t read one in Chinese.

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The aching hunger - Anorexia

仲肥 — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:35:55 +0000

Today news cut:

“An aching hunger” Laurie Penny, guardian.co.uk

Billboard campaign by fashion brand Nolita featuring young French woman Isabelle Caro who is suffering from Anorexia. Photograph: Olycom SPA/Rex Features

Anorexia, earliest record was found in 12^th century and not known as a mental disease by general public until this century.

At first, people tend to put the blame on fashion industry. The death of two top models in the cat walk stage raised most people curiosity towards this disease. Most of the youngsters are in the terrible edge of death yet too few professional help can be reached. Not every patient started with the same objective. However, they have to gone through the same horrible process of dieing. Due to the inadequate professionals care and delaying cure, patients have a long road in suffering. Hospitalization figures at the climbing high rate, many patients are re-charged and because of fail to address the mental distress during the first admission in hospital.

According to the author, “Anorexic is a mental illness and not a fashion statement or a lifestyle choice but a psychological breakdown that leads to physical collapse.” The current out-patient treatment cannot address the problem effectively. Treatment should focus on metal not just feeding the patients physical needs.

So today, if you think on-diet is a fashionable living style, do check out your body limit before it is too late.

Warrent Buffett watch

仲肥 — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:01:11 +0000

News watch

“Economy has fallen off a cliff” CNBC

Buffett’s view is more optimistic compare to few others, like Paul Krugman and Thomas Friedman, who predicted there will be a slump for a decade. A decade! Who is going to survive from that?

It’s been a boring week by watching all these “depression” news.

It should be a mark for economic depression. As quoted by someone “The worst is yet to come.”

Good luck, folks!

Young marriage

仲肥 — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:20:18 +0000

today news cut:

“Married at 20. Divorced at 23” Elizabeth Day, guardian.co.uk

It reminds me a wisdom chat with my grandma years ago when I was in early twenties, shortly after she knew I was in love. She said, “Wait for several years for marriage.” She was so right that it will be there forever as it will be several years later. If it is gone, you are lucky to have been waiting. Yes, this relationship ended seven years later.

I was always dream for a stable relationship and consider marriage was the destination yet I was never in hurry. There is a desperate desire in me want a different marriage than my parents’. My parents married in their early twenties, and I believe, to avoid early marriage before realize my true desire. Time proves that I was so right!

Late marriage in Hong Kong is common. The higher the education youngsters received, the later the marriage comes across. It is true that people’s life are in turbulence once they finished education then work, the entire new world is waiting for explore. Marriage is not at top in the priority list. So it is not surprise the high divorce rate among early twenties couples. And it is ridiculous to married because of parents’ desire. It is your marriage not your parents!!! Let alone parents care themselves.

Business lunch tactic

仲肥 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:39:44 +0000

Today news cut:

“The death of the lunch” Stuart Jeffries, guardian.co.uk

In the good old days, business lunch was a normal practice that supported by the company. It is the cash cow of CBD (Central Business District) restaurants.

One very typical example in the article mentioned the press industry. I was one of them, and it was just a normal day to start off dining with clients for lunch, in business purpose as well as good view relationship. However, in the harsh days, advertising department boss would have announced the budget for business lunch allowance had been tightened.

Today, same thing is happening under credit crunch.

In order to save business, restaurants owners are dare to try anything, includes “you pay for what you think it worthies” and it is not only in London, Hong Kong as well, you can see the same offer!

Source from : am730

The myth of organic label and certificate

仲肥 — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:28:35 +0000

Today news cut:

“It’s organic, but Does that means it’s safer?” Kim Severson & Andrew Martin, the New York Times.

Food safety becomes a very popular subject and in a major concern of our daily life lately. When more people favor to “Organic Label” and the certificates, here are more facts digging out about these paid certificates and labels.

What a myth!!! Organic food means safer? Not quite.

Most of these labels and certificates are authorized by institutions which are paid service. Under the great competitions in the industry, the whole working line’s benefit are on the edge if companies are being “offended” by putting doubt and rejection in the inspection process. So there was the salmonella peanuts incident in the US and rock the confidence of customer towards “organic label”. More and more people questioned about how far do these labels are trust worthy.

The label of organic mainly means the way of growing and production, not a hygienic and healthy assurance. Though law has enforced its duty into reporting basic health violations, unfortunately there seems a great gap between regulation and actual practice.

Of course, needless mention this in China food safety cases by case, the classical one would be the dairy disaster last year.

Nightmare hotel encounters

仲肥 — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:24:05 +0000

Today news cut:

“The day I checked in the “worst hotel in Britain” Tim Dowling, guardian.co.uk

The reporter is deliberately visiting the hotel based on 102 comments of former guests on Tripadvisor.com which recently ranked the hotel.

My worst encounter of nightmare hotel was in the spring town (溫泉鎮) at An-ning (安寧) in Yunnan. We firstly visited the room then decided, paying rate at $120 per night after our spring spa. There were marks on the carpet and obviously it had been worn out for decades. Also water marks appeared at the wall corner was too clear to know the entire room had been immersed in spring water. The worst part was the water supply. They control the use of tap water of each room. When we were in shower, water suddenly ceased. Then you storm down to the receptionist told them the situation, they just said “Haven’t you had washed before?” Yes, we washed, but our clothes not the body!!! When we think we could wrap in the warm blanket and have a nice sleep, soon we found there was itchy feeling throughout the skin with that blanket and too cold to fell asleep.

Because of this nightmare hotel encounter, we would never stay there for another night, each time we pay a day trip for spring spa and back home. Name of that hotel? Hardly remember the full name.

Sort out solution for the slump

仲肥 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:27:29 +0000

Today news cut:

“Revenge of the glut” Paul Krugman, The New York Times

Photo: Jim Krantz/Gallery Stock

People believe to find the solution when focus at the cause. So, there are few threads we can look up to.

Paul Krugman lately said it is a bigger slump out there about saving and investment, and he sees it as “revenge of the glut”. However, some others has a different view that, the blame should be fall to the Gaussian copula function, which is believed to be the formula lead to the great turmoil we all are taking part in. This simple and elegant mathematical formula was the master piece of Mr. David X. Li. Some said that he might probably win the Nobel Prize if the booming continues.

But did any weight the risk before get into it or being too naïve believing that the booming will continue forever so that they would no need to face the consequences? This is like playing the musical chair game scenario. People believe they are always lucky enough to have the ball falling into their hands before the music stop, let the followers eat the consequence.

That is ethic the world missed.

It does not the unique phonon in financial sector but also has been seen in environmental protection, food safety as well as every aspect.

Do not know the evil you let go will some day find you?