17.1%

In an election conducted amidst a virtual media blackout, where government officials actually boycotted the democratic process, where polling stations were moved and in some cases voters had to take a 20 minute taxi ride to cast their ballot, 17.1% voter turn out is nothing to sniff at.

Where else in the world do you have political leaders proclaiming that they will not cast their vote in an election? Nowhere, because those leaders depend on the voting public to ensure their continuing rule - not in Hong Kong.

HK is run on the ostensible principal of "one country, two systems" yet we are not allowed to exercise our autonomy without first receiving approval from our misshapen cabal of mutant fuckwit masters in Beijing, otherwise known as the Politburo. It is these shadowy individuals who hand pick the territory's Chief Executive, and nominate him for an "election" in which only 320 people are allowed to participate (out of a registered electorate of 3.8 million). Further to this there is a curious tradition in HK called "functional constituencies", which are basically an opportunity for Big Business (Li Ka Shing, Kwok Bros, various other Shanghainese biased oligarchs and autocrats) to outspeak the common person with regards to affairs of state (think the US lobbying groups, but give them senate seats). While only 17% of the electorate showed up to vote, despite virtually no media warnings about the election, the majority of those that did vote were of the Post 80's generation.

This tells me two things. The first is the obvious apathy that pervades the older generation – no voting unless the DAB is providing a free lunch as well, they simply cannot be bothered. The second, however, is much more interesting – the younger generation has finally got a clue. This is what should be scaring the established order, as the current generation of leaders (both industrial and political) does not have much time left – this means, to me at least, that by the time 2047 rolls around, the political landscape in HK could be one that is, hopefully, mildly hostile to the PRC.

Now we are hearing the squabbling from both sides. The pro-beijingers are saying that because there was such a low turn out, the results don’t matter (nevermind the fact that they did everything humanly possible to avoid any turnout whatsoever), and the pro-democracy camp is claiming that they now have a mandate to push for full democracy. While I think that this may be jumping the gun a bit, I do think that the turn out established that people here, at least some people, do care.

The fact that Sir Bowtie has asked us to move on from this diversionary nonsense only proves where his true allegiances lay. He is not culpable to the people of hong kong as he does not represent the people. His only obligations are to be a good boy and blindy follow the Central Standing Committee’s lead, wherever that may lead us, and to do nothing beyond the degradation and stagnation of society as a whole.

The current state of politics in this fair city sickens me.

However there is hope. Approximately 19,000 blank ballots were cast in Sunday’s election. While this figure may represent mere abstentions, to me it means more, especially in light of the shenanigans perpetrated by the government to effectively stop people from voting. Those 19,000 individuals who left their ballots blank want democracy, but as the election was sidelined and there was no real contest for the seats, chose not to vote for any of the candidates on offer. This is a step in the right direction, and serves a lesson that more people in this city could learn. The lesson is such:

It does not matter who you vote for, as long as you cast a ballot.

With the stance being taken by the government, especially from the Chief Executive and Constitutional Affairs Secretary, it is more important than ever that people express their democratic voice. It is as simple as registering to vote, and going to the polling station. If we do not use our voice, it will get taken away – as the actions of the CE and his cabinet have shown (they do not care).

Fight for your interests, and fight against mainland interference. I will be marching in this year’s July 1 protest, and I urge all of you to do the same.

Not Enough Time

Sorry for my recent lack of posts, its been a frenetic few weeks. As i've said before, 2010 is already a stellar year for those of us who like the video games.

Having rocked out ME2, i moved on to the quality offering from Visceral Games and EA in the form of Dante's Inferno. If you haven't checked it out, i highly recommend taking a look at this modern interpretation of the literary master piece of the same name. Wickedly difficult, and highly unique, Dante's kept me engrossed the entire time - full review coming later.


Then it was onto BioShock 2, and despite the exceptional reviews, this one fell flat for me. Essentially a spruced up version of the original, but lacking in the freshness that i felt the first time round. If you've got a limited budget, or just don't have the time to play many games, i'd give BioShock 2 a miss.

After BioShock 2, i picked up a copy of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. I have loved the Battlefield franchise since i started playing Battlefield: 1942 back in 2002, and BFBC2 exceeded my expectations.Using the FrostBite engined developed by DICE, co-developer EA has produced a worthy successor to the original installment. What makes BFBC2 so fundamentally different from a game like Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is that the game is grounded in reality; no "super hero" characters, or absurdly outlandish player actions. The physics of the environment, to the destructibility of the map elements, and the comprehensive kit options all conspire to keep you hooked.

I picked up my copy on Wednesday, and haven't nearly had my fill yet...

That being said, posting will be fairly light on the ground in the coming weeks. March always turns out to be a seriously hectic month, and this year will be no different. I'll try to do a proper post in the coming weeks, but in the mean time, watch this space.

Various Thoughts

Just finished Mass Effect 2 and I’ve got to say, it is an exceptional game. If you haven’t played it yet and you own a 360, get your ass in gear and beg, borrow, or steal a copy. If you haven’t played it and own a Wii, move along, because we don’t like your kind here.

That being said, if you haven’t finished the game, jump to after the picture, because I’m about to indulge myself in some ***spoilers***.

One of the things I really liked about ME2 was a sense of the massive scale of the universe which Shepard and Co inhabit. Bioware and EA did an exceptional job of tying up loose ends from the first game (if you loaded a character from the original). The little notes and interactions from the NPC’s in the first game delivered a level of believability that not many games have these days. Lets face it, did anyone walk away from their encounter with the reporter in ME1 and not want to smack her in the face? Getting that opportunity in ME2 was a delightful surprise.

More on that vein is the continuation of the storyline. The subtle (and not so subtle) prodding that your decisions will have an impact on the way that ME3 plays out. That’s one of the reasons I chose not to wipe out the Geth, and why I saved the Collector’s ship instead of blowing it up – how will those decisions play out when the reapers finally arrive in the Terminus systems? I’m hoping that they mean I get a lot of extra support from the sentient species. The scope is truly incredible and I’m eager to see what the developers throw at me next – I like space operas, and this is a space opera of gigantic proportions.

I was a bit vexed at the planet scanning system that they included, it was such a waste of time… I did start to get into it when I got the scanner upgrades, but could do without it in the sequel. Additionally, much of the RPG aspect of the game has been removed, this was seriously disappointing. I don’t know whether EA or Bioware were to blame, but the game has changed into a linear shooter masquerading as a sandbox RPG rather than the true RPG it was in the original. It still plays well and is thoroughly engrossing, but I miss getting all the gear and having all those options. I will return for the third enstalment however, Bioware knows that by showing me the armada of the Reapers i am certain to return. Maybe this time we can jump to the meat instead of marching around the galaxy picking up a ragtag group of misfits...

Hell, maybe they'll even let Shepard vas Normandy live past 10 minutes into the game, and save us all the trouble of having to start over.


Anyway, Mass Effect 2 was excellent. I’m having a bit of an internal struggle to decide whether it was better than Darksiders, but am going to restrain my judgment until I’ve played Dante’s Inferno and BioShock II… 2010 has already been a great year for gamers, and it is looking like it is going to continue – I can’t wait. For those of you interested in Dante’s Inferno (made by the same crew who did God of War), go to Digg.com and press Ctrl+U; it looks like the source code has been jacked – clever hacking or clever advertising for technically aware nerds? I do like it, whatever the reason.

(Click here to see Ben “Yhatzee” Croshaw’s reaction to some very clever marketing on the part of the DI team)

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After my massive geek out over the last couple weeks with Scifi books, video games, and general nerdiness i have started reading Kafka on the Shore by Murakami (it counts as "literature" right? I think it works as my pennance for space opera goodness). Only just getting my feet wet, and reserving judgment until i have finished, but can already feel my enthusiasm for the book going the way of Catch 22.

When i first picked up Catch 22 i absolutely hated it. It took 7 years and a second reading to convince me this was the funniest thing i had ever read, and now i go back to my well worn and dogeared copy about once every 6 months...

Kafka on the Shore is weird, no doubt about that, but i will just have to see how it plays out. Murakami does go well with the musical intonations of Less than Jake though, who would have thought that combo would work?

____________________________________________________________________

And on to local news....

Christina Chan will be talking at the FCC today on the "post 80's generation Hong Kong". I have already given my thoughts on the topic, but it will be interesting to see how she goes about it. I have a feeling that it will boil down to an indifferent government, vested interests, and kowtowing to Beijing being detrimental to the growth of our fair city - but she can be fairly out there on occasion. I know that it should be a good chat though - will she talk it up as a "Student Activist" or look for a more serious approach and title herself as an "Analyst"?

***

Tony Chan is being investigated on charges of fraud following the startling conclusion that he forged signatures on documents he submitted to the court when trying to get his hands on Nina Wang's fortune... Did anyone reasonably believe otherwise?

***

Saw an article in the SCMP yesterday about potential smoking legislation. Apparently when you ban indoor smoking, all the smokers will move outside. This has caused the weedy folk out there to complain about having to breathe "foul air". I hate to break it to these sad acts, but with the amount of particulates floating around in the air of our city, you don't have to inhale second hand smoke to get cancer - just go outside and take a deep breath of PRC pollution... Any opinion which chooses to go after smokers in such light, while ignoring the rampant pollution issue is severely misguided, not to say idiotic. Yes, there is an air quality problem, but it really isn't caused by smokers - there just happens to be several thousand pounds of CO2 being emitted every day across the border... It's all good though - Donald and his masterminds have come up with the exceptional environmental policy of "wind".

The article also mentioned Tax increases on tobacco, an issue i've touched on before. Again, it is retarded; the idea that raising taxes will stop the issue, but having no factual soundness on which to base the argument. An "academic" is at heart here, but can she really be an academic if she has done no studies and can present no solid conclusions to her hypothesis? I shouldn't be surprised though - that is how we ended up with the cross border high speed rail link after all.

And today, another article about smoking... this one focused on the facts that teens have access to tobacco. This has an exceptionally simple solution - Card tobacco purchasers no matter their age. Problem solved. I should totally be on a government advisory board.

Thats me done for this week.... Let me know your thoughts below.

Space Goodness

Currently in the midst of Mass Effect 2. If you haven't checked it out yet i suggest you do so... Unfortunately, no new posts until i have defeated the game, so check back soon.

It smells like tuna

When Amina Mariam Bokhary crashed her car in Happy Valley last night, she was not a happy camper. Neither were the police.

Ms Bokhary, who has a history of mental illness (she suffers from Bi-Polar disorder and Depression)and was quite probably under the influence of either alcohol or narcotics, managed to ram her car into the front of a bus on Stubbs Road and when police arrived at the incident, Ms Bokhary tried to flee the scene - an act which ultimately culminated with her slapping an officer in the face and being led off in handcuffs. However wrong her actions may have been, the issue i have with the above incident is with regards to the amateur theatrics on the part of the officer she slapped.

Watch the video... there is a full 5 second gap between the time that Ms Bokhary slaps (0:30) the officer, and the officer going down like a sack of shit. My immediate reaction - this guy is a fucking pussy. What would have happened if he had actually been punched in the face, rather than receiving, what can only be described as, an extremely effeminate slap? More to the point, what good would this sad excuse for a man be in the event of an actual physical confrontation?

There is no doubt that Ms Bokhary was in the wrong, but there was also no need for the officer receiving the "love tap" to fall to the floor squealing like a stuck pig. From his reaction you'd think that he was knifed in the gut instead of being slapped in the face by a woman - something which most men will have experience with; even if they don't admit it. Apparently Ms Bokhary is stronger than the average woman because the copper was last seen departing the scene in an ambulance...

This over reaction to, lets face it, not a terribly dangerous "physical threat" is fairly common practice among our boys in blue. Who can remember the incident where a police officer shot a homeless Nepalese man in the head because, wait for it, he was threatened with a chair....

The Corporate Voice; A First Amendment Fail

I realize that this is slightly old news, the decision was passed down last Friday (the 22^nd of January), but after a weekend of excess and bewilderment at the reform consultation process, I didn’t have the time to give this the attention which it deserves.

In case you aren’t watching the USA as you would a train wreck, I’ll give you the rundown on the situation:

The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America states that “all men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness”

I know that is a bit of a mouthful, but it does make a lot of sense. Men are created equally, they pursue certain rights, and they form a government to ensure that those rights are secured. If that government does not help, or support the people in their attempt to secure those rights, the government shall be abolished. Fair enough?

One of the corner stones to this “all men are created equal” idea is that it has, for the last 100 years, pertained solely to individual humans. Corporations are treated as an individual for tax and liability purposes, but they are not given equal status under the First Amendment of the US Constitution – the amendment which guarantees freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. Anyone who has ever dealt with a corporation knows that not all business are created equally. Whether it be a failed product (I’m looking at you Xbox 360), flawed customer service (PCCW), or just simple stupidity; everyone has companies which they will choose to work with because they are better than the competitors. That’s business – provide the best service/product possible, or go bust. But they aren’t people, the Corporates are not equal to me, or you, and the USA has long acknowledged that.

That is, Corporations were not given that equal status until recently – when the US Supreme Court overturned crucial parts of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, and established that a corporation is indeed equal to an individual when it comes to freedom of speech.

With the Supreme Court decision, the five conservative Justices have essentially decided that corporations should have the same opportunity to voice opinions as you, the everyman; that you as an individual will have the same ability to contribute to the campaign and political process as a multi-national billion dollar mega company. Is it a wonder that this formerly great nation is going to the dogs?

I mean, really, with massive unemployment, a seriously shakey economy, and a climate of corporate greed, why would these defenders of the constitution actually think that giving an equal voice to an entity which can hire Madison avenue Advertising firms to create flash publicity campaigns, and then pay the major US networks to air those ads again and again, why would that be “equal” to my voice? Never mind the hordes of unemployed, no home poor that currently exist throughout the country…. How is this equal – there is something here that strikes me both as being blatantly unfair, and maybe even a tad bit corrupt.

This then begs the question, if Corporate entities are entitled to extend their participation in the electorial process, will the USA then be seeing political candidates in NASCAR style jump suits which proclaim their interest groups and backers for all to see? will it get to a point where the American public will vote for their favorite corporation? While it may not be that blunt, the private interests and the lobbyists will have much more control over the candidates who run for public office; because lets face it, if you don't have the private backing, you will be unable to compete with those candidates that do. To a certain extent, this may actually change the act of simple consumerism (aka Shopping) into a de-facto ballot measure - Americans will be voting with their wallets by supporting, or not, the various corporate entities which espouse their views... This is a thought which quite frankly terrifies me.

Can you imagine a USA which has a majority of public officials are funded and branded by Exxon Mobile? Or how about EMI and Sony Music?

On a certain level, i can understand the reasoning behind the decision - Lobbyists are part and parcel of the American political process and this may be an attempt to bring greater transparency to the process by getting the back room dealings and monetary "gifts" out in the open and on the record. But missing out on the fact that this has now given a corporation a larger voice than the average citizen is where the Justices fail.

Although, i don't know why i'm complaining. In Hong Kong we have a significant proportion of our legislature composed of private interests. We call them Functional constituencies. Maybe the American Supreme court judges decided that they would take a leaf out of the book of Hong Kong... although for the life of me, i couldn't tell you why.

Reform Scavanger Hunt

American Idol is once again back in town and in full swing. This means that i have stopped watching TV. It's not entirely the fault of the American Idol crew (although i am heartened by the news that simon is leaving after this season, do i detect the end?), but they do contribute. It's more to do with the fundamental lack of programming on any of the channels that NOW offers me. I know it's an old gripe with me; i'm convinced that NOW is out to make my viewing time miserable, and that a blind monkey with one arm would make a better programming director, but it has had a positive impact. I've hit the books hard in recent weeks... Albeit seriously cheesy scifi, but that still counts right? NOW TV - So bad you'll read.

I did, however, accidentally sit through the first 15 minutes of something called "Dark horse" in the anticipation that it would be a horror movie the other night. 15 minutes of eerie music, ominous advances - blatant horror overtones - before i realised that it was in fact a movie about a black horse. Fair play monkey guy, you got me.... But that was the straw that broke the camels back and inspired this move away from the tube.

I do still watch the ATV news at 7:30; there is no way i'd deprive myself that pleasure. During one of my recent bouts of the giggles (it's nothing Tony, i just love the way Anne-Marie says "CAC Quarante") i noticed an ad from the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau touting their public consultation package for Election Reform. As we know, the general idea being floated is that it would be really fun is that we should expand Legco by 10 more seats bringing the total amount of "direct or indirectly elected elections" to 41, at a total of 60% of the chamber, while leaving the existing functional constituencies at their existing 29.

This ad is what raised my ire slightly and caused me to write this post. What i got out of that PSA, upon first viewing, was the fuzzy feeling that we will be expanding Legco by votes. Ever the optimist i waited around for a website so i could go check it out... I found out that the consultation ends on the 19th of Feburary, but couldn't for the life of me have told you where to go to participate as there was no contact information of any sort. No website; Seriously?

Being the proactive sort of fellow i am, i decided to track down some more information, and decided that the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau would probably be the best place to start my search for information. I went to their website. I do, what is best described here as, "internet stuff" for a living; so my perspective on this may be a bit screwy - but why would you give me a website where the main point of focus is this bloke:


I mean, he's no Christina Chan...

I was however, on the website of the government department that was hosting the reform consultation, so i decided to avoid that seriously ugly mug and look for what i went there for - election reform. Scouring through the legions of tiny icons, i eventually spotted it, up the top:

A couple things were running through my head at this point, not least of all was "wouldn't, ELECTION REFORM, in big bright letters have done the trick? Was there really a need to cram all of that in there?" Call me suspicious, but i may have had a feeling like they didn't really want my opinions at this point in time...

Clicking on the link i arrived at what i was looking for, got through the non-SEO friendly landing page and landed on, another fucking picture of Stephen fucking Lam. Seriously? Why would you do that to me twice? There can be no other reason for having yet another portrait of that face other than to scare off the punters... could it be that we have discovered the mysterious Asian rickroll.... But yes, there he was again, with his hordes of text; it was as if they really wanted to make this as difficult as possible. Listen buddy, i just spent all day at work, and you want me to read all that?

The point i'm trying to make from this is that if the government truly wanted consultation why wouldn't they have made this easier? I do recognize the fact that the other version of the PSA (here) had contact details, and that i did actually find the site, but how can you make the claim that you want public involvement and then air an ad which gives no contact information? Not to mention your absurdly designed websites - graphics and site structure. But this is overly complicated. There are great statements being made by our officials to include the public more, and to connect to the younger generation, but it looks like they are just going about it in an ass backwards fashion.

Here's a free tip for our glorious leaders, if you want public input make a facebook app or a twitter feed. Make that shit easy. Don't give me reams of information, never mind make it difficult for me to get to that information, you should be making it easy for us to digest. read some Cracked.com and maybe get an appreciation for the list.

Having said that, i did press on. I read that we got the go ahead for reform from they whom hold the yoke in 2007 and that the "Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau has published the Consultation Document on the Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive and for Forming the Legislative Council in 2012 ("Consultation Document") on 18 November 2009". And still i decided i needed more, so i clicked for the consultation document(PDF)....


and said bugger this, i'm going for a beer.