Danger in riding on the road

One of my good friends told me once he and his kids will ride on nothing but bike path/trail. At that time I thought he was a bit paranoid. Well, maybe not. These day you could read a few news articles about traffic accident involving bicyclists almost every week. Here is another one happened in Napa Valley (specifically, St. Helena): An Ohio woman celebrating her first wedding anniversary was killed Tuesday in a bicycle accident on Main Street north of Charter Oak Avenue. 

I certainly don't want to stop road biking but I guess I could use more caution in traffic.

荒謬世界香港篇之包容非法居留人士

日前一名貌似技安（並無歧視之意）據稱非法居港九年之十二歲人士，與自稱其阿婆自首（後者協助非法居留，不知名父母據稱在中國）並獲工聯會嫻姐高調力撐留港入學。

在中港矛盾重重的今日，此事當然引起全城議論紛紛：
1）包括工聯會的建制派曾經明確表示反對此類人士留港（時為公民黨籍律師為無證童打官司成功，法院准其留港，該事一直成為五毛用來攻擊公民黨的把柄）今日的他們（又再）打倒昨日的他們
2）此事件有否成功為政改轉移港人之視線，實在很難講。
3）部份網民到接見該童面試之小學外貼標語表示反對該校收錄非法居留人士，星期六一位該校就讀的小朋友被傳媒拍到在標語前哭訴：「犯左法又點喎」卻被細心的網民聽到背後有成人教唆：「大聲啲」年紀輕輕就成為propaganda的棋子：是悲哀？還是前途無可限量？
4）一向以爭取勞工選票為目標、形象比較正面的嫻姐，突然趕這一淌看似不相干的渾水，所為何事？有分析指面臨殺校危機的黃大仙區小學是事件受益者，才是她真正籠絡的對象。信焉？
5）一向口口聲聲依法辦事的建制派再表演搬龍門絕技：今次講情不講法。

荒謬世界美國香港篇之懷孕旅客早產靠傳媒籌旗支付醫療費

標題基本上已概括整件事件，值得討論的是誰對誰錯。第一錯的可能是主流媒體，大都傾向同情孕婦而指醫院不近人情，我不敢苟同：如果醫院真的不近人情的話，會先收錢後醫治；現在只是按例，先收錢後發出世紙罷了。美國大嬸腹大便便（懷孕七個月）還出國外遊，無論醫生批准與否，也不見得是明智之舉。遇上保險不肯負責，倒真是有點值得同情，雖然美國社會福利再好也不見得包在外國生仔，旅遊保險指嬰兒名字不在保單之上未免有點賴皮。無論如何，傳媒總算幫了大嬸一把：輿論壓力使醫院即發出世紙；煽情的報導又激起網民同情心，捐款大致足夠支付醫院費用。

Saxophone music

Those who are close to me all know I'm in my "all about saxophone" mode lately. I have been listening to mainly jazz for years, most with saxophone already but I'm focusing on music with the instrument even more these days. For the adventurous jazz fans, I strongly recommend these 2:

• Matana Roberts released her album "The Chicago Project" in 2008. Compared to her latest album which features quite a bit of human voices (Rhapsody's review calls it "sound-art installation." So you get the idea), this is more accessible. I could hear a bit of fusion, a lot of avant garde (with clear Coltrane-influences) and most importantly, clever melodies. Here is a link to a good review.
• Rudresh Mahanthappa's latest album is named "Bird Calls" Bird and alto sax immediately made me think of Charlie Parker and Bebop. Although he sounded more like Coltrane, especially on the solo/duets series titled "Bird Calls #1-5", all these pieces contain influences from and references to Parker's work (see this detailed review)