拔萃與國民教育
KJ 音樂人生

剛好母親在看《KJ 音樂人生》,片中的男拔萃正是良好制度的寫照。主角黃家正孤傲不群,但音樂詣藝高超。家正和同學屢次互罵,學生主導的男拔萃音樂部有沒有因此而不讓他出賽?沒有,他還是弦樂指揮、殺手鐧高級合唱團的伴奏。他麾下的學生有沒有因為他不合群就不和他合作?也沒有,N個小時的練習還是會去。最重要最重要,他不信「拔萃精神」,有沒有人就此說他不配是作拔萃的學生?沒有。

換作是我們的國家,有這樣的氣度嗎?

係多拉A夢定涼宮春日?做乜成班一年級學生坐咗時光機重新攞JUPAS派位?唔係要重新教過晒你地呀話?!
Is it Doraemon or Haruhi Suzumiya? Why are all these first year econ majors back in time, getting their JUPAS results once again? Am I suppose to teach you all over again?!

工作熱誠:八號風球下婆婆還是要「上班」!四缺一嘛,冇計。Work ethics: grandma is still goin’to “work” despite the typhoon signal, for 3 ppl dsn’t make a game of mahjong!

耶穌大巡行 彩虹為證

這篇文實在太強了!大有信心,大有信心呀!

『6月30日早上為巡行探路時,有弟兄看見一個標語:「憑信心、匯人材、慶祝英皇盛世70年」。這讓我們想起真要憑著信心,讓神來召聚人材去完成這個行動。』

『10時,由警長「吳國彰」(我的國要彰顯)開路。』

『隊伍一踏進佐敦道(過約旦河)交界時,神要我們受洗分別為聖,歸入基督豐盛的生命…』

『在船上,一個小朋友畫出「5個人手拖住手」的圖案,而衫背寫著JUST DO IT,預表教會心連心在主聖靈裡合一,及順服聖靈(JUST DO IT)』

『花車巡行在下午3時由警民關係組的「馬耀祖」(馬上榮耀君王就要顯現了,主應許始祖阿伯拉罕的話)義務帶路』

數之不盡!!

嚴正表明聖經對鬍鬚的立場

我一直都叫啲保守基督徒唔好成日話人唔跟聖經處事,因為咁樣好易畀人發現佢地自相矛盾,選擇性跟從聖經教導:剃鬚、蒙頭、和教外人共事等等,他們哪一樣嚴格跟著聖經做?
I have always said conservative Christians should not be so eager in criticizing others for not following the Bible, because that would just make it apparent how they practice selective obedience themselves: they neither follow the verses on marring of beard nor that on covering of head, and have completely ridiculous interpretation of 2 Col 6:14.

回歸宗教改革’s photo

請告訴我,其實聖經哪裡說不能買彩券了?

一般來說,賭博的特質有二:錢與冒風險。前者出20:17及路16:13說得明白,上帝是明言禁止對錢財的貪慕。但賭博難道就一定要用錢?賭餐飯算不算賭?當然,如果我賭餐飯是因為我很想吃頓飯,那也算是對「財」的貪慕,但有多少人賭餐飯是為著頓飯?這樣看的話,賭的特質似乎在於冒風險而不是錢財的追求。

那冒風險聖經是怎樣說呢?聖經不但沒有明文禁止冒風險,甚至可以說是讚許的。

首先,人是否可以不去冒任何的風險?不久前我和一些網友就討論過這問題:人活著就一定有風險,簡單如出街也是在賭不會被車撞死,食飯是在賭不會骾死。

但上述還不是重點—基督教強調信心,而信心意味著甚麼?是風險:
「亞伯拉罕因著信,蒙召的時候就遵命出去,往將來要得為業的地方去;出去的時候,還不知往那裡去。」(希11:8)
「你們雖然沒有見過他,卻是愛他」(彼前1:8)
「只是所見的盼望不是盼望,有誰還盼望他所看得見的東西呢?」(羅8:24)
有好心網友提醒我還有太25:14-30,三個僕人的故事:100%回報率的生意,風險才不會小!

亞伯拉罕冒的風險不少,但回報亦高。如果亞伯拉罕並沒有面對任何風險,那「信心之父」就沒有甚麼意義了—一個零風險高回報的機會,隨便一個人也會去取。正正是因為基督與救恩並不是百分百明確的顯明在我們眼前,正正是因為我們信主是冒著信錯的風險,信心才有意義。沙得拉、米煞、亞伯尼歌對尼布甲尼撒說:「王啊,他也必救我們脫離你的手; 即或不然,王啊,你當知道我們決不事奉你的神,也不敬拜你所立的金像。」(但3:17-18)。亞伯、以諾、挪亞、亞伯拉罕,「這些人都是存著信心死的,並沒有得著所應許的」(希11:13 )。這樣看來,冒風險是每一個基督徒都一定要做的事。建基於零風險假設之上的,並不是真正的信心呢。

要注意,我可是同意為貪財而去賭博是罪,而我也同意貪財為很多賭徒的動機。我挑戰的,是賭博一定就是為著貪財這一假設。沒有貪財動機的賭博行徑,不見得聖經有明言反對,不過是無益罷了,和打電動沒兩樣。

再想一想,為貪財而勞力工作,正確麼?當然不正確,一樣是罪。我們能肯定信徒中就沒有人為貪財而勞力工作嗎?那我們是否應為這點而禁止信徒工作?

我個人不買彩券的原因很簡單:買彩券的預期回報是負數,而我又不享受買彩券的過程。但只要不是為得著錢財,真的,我看不出買彩券和別的消遣有甚麼分別。

中大經濟系 傑出本科論文獎 2011-12

恭喜各位得獎同學!這是對你們知識和努力的肯定。

中大經濟系 傑出本科論文獎 2011-12
CUHK Dept. of Economics Excellent Undergraduate Paper Award 2011-12

1. Mr. Paul Cheung (second year student) won the Excellent Undergraduate Paper Award with his Senior Thesis, “Over-Inference in Small Sample: An Experiment” supervised by Dr. Vinci Chow.
2. Ms. Lam Chor Wan, Doris (final year student) won the Excellent Undergraduate Paper Award with her STOT paper, “Effects of Demographic Changes on Savings (Based on the Life-cycle Hypothesis) supervised by Dr. Ko Kwan Wai.
3. Ms. Kyli KY Li (final year student) won the Excellent Undergraduate Paper Award with her STOT paper, “Do People who Work More Hours Earn More in Hong Kong?” supervised by Dr. Vinci Chow.
4. Mr. Man Kin Chow (first year economics major) won the Excellent Undergraduate Paper Award (Junior Division) with his STOT paper, “Study of the Relationship between The Salary And GDP in Hong Kong” supervised by Dr. Vinci Chow.
5. Ms. Shannagh Wu Si Lok (first year economics major) won the Excellent Undergraduate Paper Award (Junior Divison) with , “A study in reaching a “revenue-neutral” arrangement to improve the traffic situation amongst the three road harbour crossings”, supervised by Prof. Zhang Hongliang.

The Award ceremony will be held in the Academic Counseling Session of the Orientation Camp for incoming economics students scheduled on 21 August from 11 am to 1.00 pm in William MW Mong Engineering Building, Rm 407.

Winners of the Junior Division will each receive a book coupon of $500 and a certificate, while winners from more senior years will each receive a book coupon of $1000 and a certificate.

有没有可能操纵上证指数?

我亦認同從交易入手應該較入侵上證電腦系統容易,且是合法—當然,合法與否大內地有多重要是個疑問。因為以交易操控指數很著重最後一分鐘甚至最後一秒內的交易,我個人認為高速交易基金的嫌疑最大,畢竟它們的日常工作就是作超短線的交易控制。

I agree it is probably easier to manipulate Shanghai Composite via transactions instead of hacking. Moreover, the former is legal, though it is doubtful how meaningful this is in Mainland China.

Because manipulation via transaction depends heavily on the transactions in the last minute or even the last second, I personally think high-speed trading funds are the prime suspects. After all, their daily business concerns making transactions in ultra-short time frames to begin with.

的士申加價政府擱置 司機﹕小勝 商會﹕憤怒

這是簡單經濟學理論都可以解釋到的現象:司機工會明白會員收入受壓於司機數目,加價對提高收入並無幫助,反而會減少會員工作機會,是壞事。車主則明白加價等如可以加租,是以拼死支持。

This is simple economics: driver unions understand that members’ income is being held back by the number of available drivers, and therefore cannot be improved by a fare raise. A raise will in fact have the negative effect of reducing the number of taxi rides taken. Taxi owners, on the other hand, understands that rent goes up with fare, resulting in their strong support of the raise.