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August 27 Keep Soho and the Graham Street Market from becoming yet another overdeveloped block of highrisesConcerned Hong Kongers are asking the Town Planning Board to rezone the Graham Street Market and Soho, in order to retain it as a historic, low-rise area and to designate some streets to be used specifically for market activities.
If you feel strongly about this, you can email a letter to tpbpd@pland.gov.hk quoting application # Y/H3/3. Or you can use a ready-written comment form at www.centralandwestern.org/Y.H3.3/index.html
The deadline is Fri 29 Aug. Chinese is below.
爭取保育嘉咸街市集及蘇豪區 –規劃「香港歷史城區」
請支持這項規劃申請!
公眾諮詢期至 2008年8月29日
中西區關注組建議將中環最具歷史價值的舊街區 –蘇豪及嘉咸街市集–劃為「特別設計區」,透過有效及有利可持續發展的規劃措施,去保護這個深具歷史文化價值的地區的活力及整體特色。有關的12A規劃申請已被城規會接納考慮,現諮詢公眾意見至2008年8月29日 (申請編號Y/H3/3)。
這是首次有團體向城規會申請以「特別設計區」的框架去保護一個歷史文化區的環境及風貌。
此項申請覆蓋範圍約 4.7平方公里,涵蓋嘉咸街市集及蘇豪區,申請旨在:
o 保護「歷史城區」內原有的街道結構及景觀。o 訂定高度限制(12層或以下)及維持較小型的低矮樓宇,以保持現有宜人的樓宇密度及設計特色。o 將部份嘉咸街、卑利街、結志街、士他花利街、吉士笠街及士丹利街劃為「市集街」,保留綠色小販排檔、大排檔、街市店舖,確保現有市集能繼續運作。o 確保更新過程能維護此區的歷史風貌,並維繫周邊古蹟,包括中區警署、荷李活道警察宿舍、文武廟、孫中山史蹟徑等的整體連貫性。o 鼓勵私人業主翻新及復修物業,讓舊城區有機地更新,並由政府改善交通、市集設施及衛生環境。o 降低發展密度將有助減輕該區交通擠塞,改善空氣及採光質素。關注組發言人羅雅寧及 John Batten:「我們要求當局確認中上環歴史城區的重要性,並以全面的規劃方案使整區(由中區警署建築群至中央書院遺址、嘉咸街市集至蘇豪)得到適當的保育。」
羅氏補充,這區正面對錯誤規劃及過度發展的威脅,若當局不即時設立「特別設計區」給予保護,香港將失去一個最美及最具本土特色的歴史城區,和一個最古老又最具活力的露天市集。
關注組呼籲公眾支持是項規劃申請,於 2008年8月29日前向城規會遞交意見書,註明申請編號Y/H3/3,城規會電郵: tpbpd@pland.gov.hk。有關是項規劃申請的詳情,可瀏覽中西區關注組網址
www.centralandwestern.org。
August 25 Media job offer
Global News Enterprises, a new Boston-based venture, is building a team of journalists. A web-based organization that will provide daily international news coverage, Global News is hiring 70 correspondents and five regional editors in 50 countries. They are accepting applications immediately and plan to have the team in place in 2009 when the site is expected to launch. They seek correspondents and editors who speak the native language and know the history, politics, economics and culture of the country. Multimedia or web experience, plus experience with U.S. media, are bonuses. Coverage will focus on so-called “second world” countries like China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria, Poland and others. They say their monthly stipend is "is modest, but is comparable to rates paid to freelancers by traditional American newspapers and magazines." Plus, those on the opening team get stock. So it sounds like they are looking for "super-stringers"/ start-up co-founder-type people, but I'm just guessing here. Cvs can be sent to correspondent@globalnewsenterprises.com. Plus, they're doing a talk at the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club Sept 17. August 23 No happy ending to gymnasts scandalNOW TV,
a Hong Kong channel run by Richard Li (Li Ka-shing's son), added to the
growing number of reports on whether China's gymnasts are underaged.
They showed Chinese-language screen grabs of documents, with
the birthdate "1994" circled. NOW goes against the idea that this issue is borne of Western jealousy and a desire to see China fall. (The last thing the Li family wants is for China to fall!) And NOW, being Chinese-language, is more domestically relevant. I interviewed the NOW news editor a while back. She said their business news was allowed across the border, but their "news news" was not. Whether blocking NOW has any impact, I don't know. It's too bad they don't put out a news website. The IOC -- which has so far buffed questions about conflicting documents -- finally asked for an investigation on Friday. The Chinese handed over more ID cards showing the girls to be 16, which is the minimum age allowed. On the IOC's orders, the International Gymnastics Federation was looking into He Kexin, Yang Yilin, Jiang Yuyuan, Li Shanshan and Deng Linlin. But I'm not expecting they will look very hard, despite the fact that there has been clashing information from many sources, many of them state-linked media in China. But even if the IGF look now -- after weeks of speculation -- it would only be a cat-and-mouse game of keeping potentially embarrassing documents hidden. I can't imagine the IOC or IGF are savvy enough to dig up local records. I doubt local officials or family members are going to help a bunch of foreigners find evidence to make China look bad. **** I was curious how the Chinese-language media would cover this. Let me preface by saying that, despite promises to myself that I should watch Mandarin TV to improve my Putonghua, I never do. I am no TV expert. Phoenix did quite a long report on the gymnasts, showing shots of the press conference where He Kexin -- without her performance make-up -- looked pale, shifty-eyed and sad. Her coach spoke briefly, but she did not. Phoenix then interviewed one of the male Chinese gymnasts. You can probably guess his views. Phoenix is a Hong Kong-based Mandarin-language broadcaster co-founded by a former PLA colonel. It aims to be the "Chinese CNN" and is viewed by Chinese-speaking audiences all over the world. It's seen as being not as free as Western or traditional Hong Kong media, but freer than Mainland media. I saw nothing on the gymnastics scandal on CCTV, the official state broadcaster. Then again, I couldn't bear to watch it that long. **** The BBC, CNN, The New York Times and IHT all, at some point, had the gymnast story up prominently on their homepages, though the story has moved inside now. (The Internet has made "news cycles" much shorter). The Times of London, which is producing its own reporting out of Beijing and not using just wires, is making a good effort to track censorship of this issue online. The South China Morning Post site disappointingly ran an AP wire, and then mentioned the issue on a Podcast that also included bits about Hong Kong movies and Gary Glitter. Why are none of their reporters in Beijing digging deeper into this? Most have a linguistic edge of their foreign counterparts. Let's see if they produce anything tomorrow. **** Some members of the blogosphere -- that big bubble of wrath -- blamed American gold medal envy. The obnoxious Bela Karolyi has not helped. However, evidence that these girls were born in 1994, not 1992, was cropping up in July, before the Games. It was reported in major media like The New York Times, and discussed on Olympics blogs like FanHouse. The China Media Project has quotes from China Daily, Xinhua and People's Daily, including a scanned image of that newspaper's page, showing He born in 1994. The Huffington Post has screen grabs from China Daily (both pre- and post- tampering, showing her at 14 and 16 respectively), plus a Chengdu official gymnastics body. This link was reportedly disconnected, then "refound." I just checked, and He Kexin (#10) is still listed as being born in 1994. The latest information has come from a blogger called Stryde Hax. He found Excel spread sheets listing her as first 14, then 16, on the website of the General Administration of Sport in China. He says he is neither a sports fan nor anti-Chinese, but interesting in finding fraud online. ***** I have no idea if these gymnasts are under-aged. There are two possibilities: A) China sent underaged girls to the Olympics and faked documents to make them look older. B) Local officials and the media took older gymnasts and made them seem younger, to impress the public ("Amazing gymnast is only 13!") or maybe so they could win in local competitions against younger girls. Both possibilities come to a bad end. Both show high-level dishonesty, a lack of foresight (don't tell me nobody was planning ahead for 8/8/08!), an under-estimation of investigative journalists (including bloggers), manipulation of information conveyed in the media, and just awful public relations. **** There have been the usual cries of "Why us? Why us? Why pick on us?" But the IOC investigates everyone. Athletes from Spain, Vietnam and North Korea have been kicked out for doping. The annoying Swedish wrestler was stripped of his medal for misbehaving at the ceremony. Even the hero Usain Bolt was cautioned not to act too arrogantly. It's not just China that the IOC tries to keep in line. Few know that the IOC tested swimmer Michael Phelps for drugs 7 times in 12 days in Beijing, between Aug 4 and Aug 15, including twice on the same day -- which is a bit ridiculous. The U.S. Team did not make a big deal of this, which is why it is little reported. Unlike the Chinese, the U.S. coaches were not sulky and defensive in face of questions. They did not make excuses. They did not call Phelps' multiple tests a "false accusation." They allowed repeated testing quietly and uncomplainingly. No U.S. coach came out with a ridiculous statement like "drug testing makes Michael Phelps's mom feel bad," which is one line the Chinese have used. If Phelps was found to be guilty, the U.S. would fess up and the U.S. media would report on it. (NB: He's tested negative on all drug tests so far.) **** I feel worst for He Kexin. Generally, when a Western athlete is guilty of doping, it's his or her own fault. They decide to do something wrong, and deserve to be stripped of medals, as the Canadian Ben Johnson was, causing the entire country to want to crawl under a pile of maple leaves. But I can't imagine it would be He Kexin's fault if documents were wrong or faked. I think elite athletes this young (at 14 or 16, she would still be a teenager) are shut off from the real world, and even more so in China. She's been under scrutiny from scary foreign journalists, and looks lost and miserable. When asked about her age, at one point she said, "it's none of your business." If the IOC don't investigated well and resolve this issue, there will be the feeling that China got away with something as the Olympics host. But if the IOC do find proof of faking, they will have no choice but strip medals, and my heart will break for the girl who has trained so hard and performed so well, only to be publicly shamed because of something her superiors did wrong. I can't see a happy ending. ***** People asked why lip-sync girl, the digital footprints and non-ethnic ethnic children -- all from the Opening Ceremony -- were such a big deal. They weren't, taken individually. But together -- along with gymnast Yang Yun's statement that she was under the legal age when she won two bronzes in Sydney -- they set a tone that made people even more suspicious when the serious issue of falsifying documents came up. August 22 On a lighter note -- Dave Barry on Beijing rockI know all you regular readers are IHT subscribers, because if you were not, you would have told me by now, since I get some sort of "special prize" for roping more of you people in. So you've already probably seen this hilarious column. Full article is here: "I was in the mood to have blood spurt from my ears, so I decided to take in the Beijing rock scene. Closer look at China's net nanny, and the futility of boycottsDanwei keeps meticulous count of which international websites are blocked when in China. Today, it's saying that if you type "China" into google.com from a Mainland computer, you get no response. (Of course, this is just one blogger talking about one search). If you scroll down Danwei's "censorship" link, you can put together a sort of chronology: YouTube blocked, The Guardian blocked, L.A. Times blocked, BBC partly unblocked, Wikipedia unblocked, Blogspot unblocked, Blogspot blocked, Blogspot unblocked again, Blogger blocked, etc. Readers then write in reports from where they are: No YouTube here in Sichuan. Some Blogger access in Hunan. No luck with the BBC in Beijing. It's tedious reading -- one commenter asked if it was really necessary for Danwei readers to do a roll-call of every province in China. And the answer is yes, if only because there seems to be an online community of people talking about the minutae of proxy servers, "Google mirrors" and other ways of bypassing "The Great Firewall of China." To me, it's a foreign language. The latest news, from the Sydney Morning Herald, is that iTunes has been blocked because of an album about Tibet. Now CNN has picked up on the story.. Of course, iTunes is just the carrier; they are not responsible for every lyric on every song, no more than Carrefour supermarkets are responsible for actions taken by the Paris mayor. That hasn't stopped some netizens from saying they will boycott Apple products like the iPhone. You show them. Not having an iPhone will be really make a difference in Chinese-Tibetan relations. **** One really wonders if angry Chinese will suffer from boycott fatigue. There was a political correctness wave (tsunami) when I was at McGill in the 90s. For some political reason, the student body president was not drinking either Coke or Pepsi. I forget which, and he would, too. "Damn," he'd say in the cafe we'd all go to, staring at his can of soda. "Is Sprite owned by Coke or Pepsi? Can I drink this in good conscience?" There are a few things I will not do -- like eat shark's fin -- but is it really impossible to avoid all products that have not been pristinely produced. Canadian wild smoked salmon on my bagel? Depletes fish stocks. The Gap? Might use child labor. Abercrombie & Fitch? T-shirts designs offensive to Chinese-Americans. Anything made in China? Supports regime that jails journalists. Great. I might as well leave Hong Kong since everything here is made in China. Actually, I might have to leave Planet Earth. The Chinese Carrefour and iPod boycotters are just as ridiculous as the Americans who decided to rename french fries as "freedom fries," to protest French comments on the Iraq war. But "freedom fries" were a one-off and a joke, devised by two idiot politicians in North Carolina. Whereas the censorship in China is wide-ranging, sanctioned and instituted by the government. That's way more scary. Idiocy that is huge and official and tied to the world's most populous state is more frightening than idiocy practiced on an individual level. Bit of trivia from a foodie: French fries get their name from the the method of slicing into thin strips, which used to be called "frenched." I love the French spokeswoman's response to Americans on this case: "We are not focusing on the name you give to potatoes." You can practically hear her sniff. ***** Mainland netizens probably find the first half this post rather obvious, but it's not. Here in Hong Kong (or in most parts of the world) people know about Chinese web censorship as a sort of vague concept. I was actually surprised to read about it blow-by-blow. In Hong Kong, there are complaints about subtle problems -- like potential self-censorship from journalists working for media owned by bosses with Mainland business connections. But we still have front-page stories on everything from Tibetan riots and Tiananmen Square massacre memorials, to Taiwan's independence seekers -- regardless of what people may think about those issues. (Maybe China can start censoring issues that begin with the letter "t"). Even in a #9 typhoon, I can access all the above sites. Actually, I take for granted that I can. It wouldn't occur to me that I wouldn't be able to. China-based bloggers sometimes write, "It's no problem. You can use a proxy. Or, if main news sites are blocked, you can go straight to the wires." I have to give it to bloggers who are smart and determined enough to go through this amount of effort. But this does not apply to the 99% of Chinese who don't have the technical expertise, language skill, media savvy, time and inclination. Like everyone, they have jobs to do and lives to run. They might glance at a paper, turn on the evening news, do a little surfing online. And they aren't getting the information -- good, bad and ugly -- the rest of the world are.
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