Massive update to the Education page, with a wholesome set of updated commercial law notes kindly donated by Fontaine of the University of Hong Kong.

My grandfather always extolled a good hand-tail.

Just last night, I was impressed by a homeless woman in the alfresco area outside IFC. She was sitting sound asleep on a chair surrounded by her belongings. Then she awoke, and walked to a nearby rubbish bin to discard various pieces of paper and tissues she had used. She then moved the chairs around the table to make way for her cart. After she moved the cart, she put the chairs neatly back around the table.

That was rather impressive already, as I know some of us folks won’t even do that. But she went further, she opened some alcohol wipes and did a thorough wipe of the chairs she had used or put luggage on. Only after she threw those used wipes into the rubbish bin did she leave, leaving me quite impressed indeed.

So there I was again slurping noodles in my favourite noodle shop, and I couldn’t help but overhear a conversation between three security guards / contractors. All men, they were discussing the peculiarities between different buildings, cleaning ladies and other security guards. Apparently, most guards sleep around midday after lunch. Foul language is casually slipped in between words and sentences.

Then there came this particular subject of this particular guard, who, under market wage, was hired by a building management company. He has no fixed home, instead, he cooks and showers and practically lives in the building he guards. He has a girlfriend in Shenzhen and goes back when he has holidays. Before midnight, he scavenges rubbish to make extra money before returning to sleep at his building. His intelligence is manifested in his not needing to pay rent for housing, which is a giant saving. He leads a nomadic existence in Hong Kong, which is why market wage is not necessary for him.

The million dollar question is, of course, how much more security do these people offer to a premises?

Well, a new era beckons. VF officially endorses Obama’s Victory Speech.

[photo image]

漁農處在上水抓到一隻野豬。其實，上水野豬多的是。

The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt…

Cicero, c.55 bc 

This is not a political article.

This academic moot question was posed by the Mingpao Newspaper, citing Martin Lee. It stirs up the Chinese spirit. Why is it a moot question? Because simply in practical terms, the Communist Party won’t be so naive so to contradict any law of the land, especially in a place where law is above all (again, only in theory). However, it is a grave academic question. There is a conflict of interest if the majority of the said Party tells a Party member to do something against the law. If that said member does do the illegal act, then it can be said that the Party member went against the law and the Party is an accessory. That member can be prosecuted according to the law in HK. If he refuses to act, however, he may well be dismissed from the Party.

In such a conflict, the necessary solution is simply to put oneself in a position where one is unable to act. Until the Party stabilises and realises that it is under the law (theoretically and structurally), it would be somewhat dangerous for (potential) leaders of non-PRC jurisdictions to join the Party.

If drinking alcohol causes redness in the face or anywhere else, discontinue immediately for the rest of your life. It means that a carcinogenic element in the broken down components of the alcohol could not be broken down by your body. About 50% of Asians have this biological condition. Drinking any alcohol with that condition means almost certain liver degradation and possible cancer.

If anyone forces you to drink, tell them this. They will then be accessories to assault / murder / manslaughter if anything happens.

How’s that to “stop drinking”, with a reason?

8 October, from Bloomberg: “As the financial crisis worsens, top New York and London law firms are experiencing a boom in work advising banking clients in mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcies and lawsuits.”

However, firms that have not picked up business from the recent financial incident have announced layoffs and closures, e.g. Heller Ehrman.