Thursday, September 30, 2010

「兩週一聚」第四十七期: 【笑傲江湖】 ∕ 2weeks1gather #47 【A Lone Ranger】


我年青時起願要「收身丶離家丶自覺丶遊天下」,這或許和中學老師教導的「修身丶齊家丶治國丶平天下」訓言大有分別,但從「行萬里路勝讀萬卷書」的角度來看,效果卻是有點異曲同工之妙。我離開了生長之地之後,獨自一人「跑江湖」,走遍了世界很多個角落,雖沒有做到「平天下」的豐功偉業,但是,在与不同的國家丶種族丶文化溝通之間,在工作丶旅遊丶上網互研之際,我多多少少也儘了做推廣「和平合作」的職責,也積聚了一些做人處世的經驗。但我行走「江湖」多年,卻從未想到有「笑丶傲」那種瀟灑脫俗丶俠義心腸丶鋤強扶弱的感覺。反之,我与各「江湖」俠男俠女接觸愈多,就愈發覺自己只是芸芸众生人海中的一份子,有人比我弱,亦有人比我強,正是一山還有一山高,強中更有強中手,何「笑丶傲」之有?至於人与人之間的恩恩怨怨,我想那是人類的「通有病」,人世間之事有憾有不憾,鄰居親戚也可以因芝麻綠豆小事而大動干戈,這倒不是和走江湖丶上網絡有什么特別的關係。

或許我這個鹹水書生是不明白出題人「逸之」的指引,誤解了「笑傲江湖」的含意。在我來說,行走江湖,無論是「收身丶離家丶自覺丶遊天下」或「修身丶齊家丶治國丶平天下」,都很難以「笑丶傲」來形容我的經驗和感受。而網友和網友之間的關係,是善是惡,也只不過是人類羣体社会的縮影而已!!


Photo Credit: http://www.worth1000.com/galleries.asp (That's my type of 笑傲江湖 :O)

Related Articles:

* 【修身,齊家,治國,平天下】 / 【Refine One-self; Get Married; Govern the Nation; Bring Peace to the World】 view Nov 2006 article

* 「兩週一聚: 旅遊」之【修身,齊家,治國,平天下】(二) / 「Bi-weekly Series: Travel」【Refine One-self; Get Married; Govern the Nation; Bring Peace to the World】(Part 2) view Jan 2009 article

References:

* 【兩周一聚】 網上文章聚會,每月十五及三十日出稿,男女老幼無國界無任歡迎! For other articles of the same theme, please visit: 2weeks1gather.wordpress.com/

* 「逸之」 : 今次有幸出題,題目是叫做笑傲江湖,當然不是叫大家寫書評. 江湖,當然不是用刀刀劍劍互劈那種. 什麼是江湖?我記得笑傲江湖的電影版的任我行的一句對白.有人的地方就有恩怨,有恩怨的地方就有江湖.人就是江湖.在這個Blog的江湖,各位blog 友怎看待這個江湖呢?有沒有想過,透過寫blog 去得到什麼? 好像田伯光般,想做什麼就做什麼?像沖虛,方證般與世無爭?好像左冷禪般野心勃勃?誓要做一番大事?好像東方不敗般,不惜做出重大犧牲也要得到什麼?(欲達一百萬hit,必先揮刀自宮?),大家怎看blogger之間的關係呢?一起說一下吧! (Blog site: "All or Nothing" http://rhamina.mysinablog.com)

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Travel to Scotland - Back to Canada today !!!

I just came back to Canada from Scotland and will read and respond to your comments left at lotusandcedar btwn Sept 13 and 28, 2010.

I will post articles and photos about Scotland soonest !!!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Golden Oldies: "Georgy Girl" by The Seekers

Here is the song "Georgy Girl" that so much reminds me of Tonie, after all these years (sorry K) !!!



(Source: YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qapF-7lh_NU)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Golden Oldies: "I Will Never Find Another You" by The Seekers

Here is the song "I Will Never Find Another You" by Judith Durham of The Seekers, who also sang "Georgy Girl" in the movie of the same name. Lynn Redgrave who played Georgy Girl in the movie died May 2 2010 in Connecticut.


(Source: YouTube video)

Monday, September 20, 2010

Golden Oldies: "House Of The Rising Sun" by The Animals

Does anyone know who wrote "The House of the Rising Sun"? Here is the version from Eric Burdon and The Animals.

Eric Burdon - Vocals
Alan Price - Keyboard
Hilton Valentine - Lead Guitar
Chas Chandler - Bass Guitar
John Steel - Drums



(Source: YouTube user Hamish500000)

Friday, September 17, 2010

Golden Oldies: The Doors "Light My Fire" by Jim Morrison et al

This is an amazing song by The Doors !!! Like Janis Joplin and some others rockers of that by-gone era, the lead singer Jim Morrison (shown in video) also died young.

I have picked from YouTube two versions, the top one has good stero sound, and the bottom, live shot of the band in Europe. I have also posted the lyrics below.

Enjoy !!!



(Source: YouTube video posted by inBLOOMman)

Lyrics:

You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn't get much higher

Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire

The time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre

Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire, yeah

The time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre

Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire, yeah

You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn't get much higher

Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire

The video below was recorded live in Europe. This version of "Light My Fire" is slightly different than the one above.




(Source: Video from eaglerocktv)

Reference:

According to Eagle Rock TV, http://www.eagle-rock.com/artist/A848:

"... The Doors were founded by Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison in Los Angeles in 1965. They released their eponymous debut album, which contained their hit single Light My Fire, in 1967 and went on to be one of the most controversial and influential rock acts of the sixties. Jim Morrison's early death in Paris in 1971 only served to fuel their legend and both he and the band have continued to enjoy iconic status for more than thirty years. This incredible performance of Light My Fire is from the Eagle Vision DVD "Live in Europe" ....."

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Golden Oldies: "San Francisco"

Here is a golden oldie called "San Francisco" that was written by John Phillips and performed by Scott McKenzie during the Vietnam War era. At the time, the Cold War was still raging hard and there was a real fear of a nuclear World War III btwn NATO countries and socialist/communist regimes such as the USSR and China. The song was extremely popular among the so-called flower-child generation (as song lyrics go: "... be sure to wear some flowers in your hair ..") who were rallying for world peace. The B-52 bomber peace symbol and "Make Love not War" slogan were popular among the young ppl in both North America and Western Europe.

Fast forward to 2010: Well, many of the hippies have become yuppies and are now part of the mainstream society. The world has survived the doomsday clock, altho it is now facing a different type of security threat known as terrorism. International relationships have changed a lot since then, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and then the disintegration of the USSR and the Eastern Bloc. There is no more "iron curtain". China too emerged from behind the so-called "bamboo curtain" and is taking a new approach to developing its global economic power.

A lot have changed. But perhaps a lot remain to be done too !!!




(Source: YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bch1_Ep5M1s)

Reference:

Official Information on the Single "San Francisco"San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair).
(text: www.scottmckenzie.info/music.html)

" ...Early on the day Scott recorded San Francisco, some friends picked wildflowers and wove a garland, which he wore while he sang, as his friends sat on the floor and meditated in the studio. Since the city of San Francisco was the primary west coast port of disembarkation for all returning military personnel, the song San Francisco became a homecoming song for all Vietnam Veterans from 1967 on. Scott has dedicated every American performance of San Francisco to Vietnam veterans and in 2002 sang at the 20th anniversary of the dedication of the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

In the rest of the world, especially in Eastern Europe, San Francisco became a freedom song. "During the Cold War the secret police threatened residents with imprisonment just for listening to western music. Many of these people adopted San Francisco as their personal anthem of hope and freedom. It is very humbling," says Scott.

It had been intended that the John Phillips song Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon) would be Scott's follow up song to San Francisco but contractual obligations resulted in the Mamas and Papas recording the song and Scott released Like An Old Time Movie, which was a minor hit, and to this day he is known as a 'one hit wonder'. On stage Scott says that if you are going to be a one hit wonder, San Francisco is the hit to have.

There is a theory that Like An Old Time Movie was not a bigger hit, especially in Europe, because at that time Europeans did not really know what an old time movie was - they didn't have late movies on television. ...."

Photo Credit: Wikipedia "San Francisco"

Monday, September 13, 2010

「兩周一聚」 第四十六期題目 - 我喜愛的老師: 【小王子与老郭】 / 「2weeks1gather」 #46 - My Favourite Teacher: 【Little Prince and Master Kwok】

***This lotusandcedar blog article was originally posted on Mar 21, 2009***

【小王子与老郭】/ "Little Prince and Master Kwok"

話說在青蛙島半山區中,有一和尚寺學校,校園內陽盛陰衰,很多十來歲的小伙子入世未深,对人生常識一知半解,瞎子摸象,所以年紀較長的留班生「小王子」便被擁躉推選為衆憎之首。小王子父母在海外金山做纏身的歺館業,為了不想兒子變為「竹升仔」,所以特送了他回港讀書,卻料不到山高黃帝遠,小王子好食懶非,學業成績每況愈下,留了一次班還是不悔悟,前途實令人堪慮。

一日午膳時間,小王子与眾猢猻在校園無花果樹下無所事事,他從校褸袋掏出了一張摺殘了的相片,吹噓說:『誰想看妖精打架相片?』擁躉登時雀躍不已,都爭先恐後,要搶着去看,吵鬧声傳到巡邏紏察的耳朵裏,他立刻將事件報告当值老師領功,小王子就被送上校長室記過。教員室老師們知道此事後,大都搖頭嘆息,認為愚子不可教也,結論是記過多次的小王子窮途末路,遲早終会被趕出校門。

唯獨有一個花名叫「老郭」的中文老師,他就是不肯放棄教學這神性的任務。翌日,在上中文課時,小王子照例夢幻太虛,冷不提防被老郭抽個正着,借題發揮,就在所有學生面前痛罵了他一個狗血淋頭。事隔多年,老郭的一番話還是清清楚楚地留在我的腦海中。

『... 胡XX,你年紀不少,应当明白你父母在美國捱生捱死,滙寄美金回港給你讀書,撕開每一塊錢都是有血有汗滴出來的,你現在的所作所為,又怎能对得起你父母?又怎能对得起你自己?如果你不懸崖勒馬,痛改前非,我相信你不但会傷了你父母之心,更会傷害了你自己一生的前途,胡XX,你想清楚罷!!』

老郭語畢,眾學生鴉雀無声,室內時間和空氣都好像被凝結了,在那一瞬間,我好像看到一滴眼淚從小王子臉上流下。小王子那年沒有留班,也沒有被逐出校門,中學畢業後,他就返回美國和父母同住。

而老郭他還是繼續在無花果學校任教,正是: 學而不厭,誨人不倦,桃李滿門,是教育界的中流砥柱。郭老師在1985年榮獲香港十大傑出長者的名銜,他在1997年逝世,享年74歲,留下自作輓聯如下:

清風兩袖,惟有一片丹心,胸懷袓國;
牢騷滿腹,幸喜盈門桃李,艷競香江。


(筆者後語: 「小王子」是屬口傳野史一類,但郭全本老師卻是真人丶真事丶真英雄。)

Reference:
"郭全本" 维基百科http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%83%AD%E5%85%A8%E6%9C%AC

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Related Sites:
* Kempton is the one that came up with the theme "My Favourite Teachers". His blogsite is at: http://ca8hk.wordpress.com/2010/09/05/2w1g-issue-46-my-favourite-teachers/
* To read other articles under the same theme, please visit: http://2weeks1gather.wordpress.com/

Saturday, September 11, 2010

記念九一一襲擊事件: 必治活國家墳場 / Remembering the 9/11 Terrorist Attack: Beechwood National Cemetery



九一一襲擊事件,

發生在2001年9月11日,

在此記念在9/11喪生的無辜平民,

and those in uniforms,

包括26名加拿大籍人。

Photo Credit: Lotusandcedar / Haricot
I took these photos at the Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa.

Reference:
Wikipedia: "... Beechwood Cemetery is the national cemetery of Canada. Because it is located in Ottawa, Ontario, the nation's capital, it is the burial site for a number of statesmen as well as a large number of mayors of the city. A woodland cemetery founded in 1873, it is 160 acres (647,000 m²) and is the largest cemetery in the city of Ottawa. It was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 2001. The cemetery also serves as the "National Military Cemetery of the Canadian Forces" and the "RCMP National Memorial Cemetery" ...."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechwood_Cemetery)

瑪格麗特‧愛特伍: 《洪荒年代》 / Margaret Atwood: The Year of the Flood

"預視人類未來"

"..... 加拿大作家瑪格麗特‧愛特伍近日出版新作 "The Year of the Flood",描述一群稱為上帝的園丁(God's Gardeners),預測大洪水將臨,因而致力於制定因應對策。在這飽受自然災害威脅的地球,僅少數人類和變種生物存活下來。這群人類以亞當一號(Adam One)為首,盡全部心力於保護地球上所有的物種免於大水侵害。

愛特伍為一著作豐富之小說家,著名作品如《仕女的故事》(The Handmaid's Tale, 1985)、《盲眼刺客》(The Blind Assassin, 2000)和《末世男女》(Oryx and Crake, 2003)等。她的新作品 The Year of the Flood 背景和《末世男女》一樣設在2003年,描述在大地反撲、自然災害不斷的情況下存活下來的人類的命運。愛特伍強調,兩本小說雖有類似的時空和場景,卻沒有直接的承繼關係,The Year of the Flood 並非其前作的續集。..."


(Source of text above: 台灣匯文網)




Thanks to Kempton's Sept 9, 2010 blog article entitled "2010 Calgary International Film Festival Picks: In the wake of the flood", I am able to locate the trailer and post it here for your enjoyment.

As I mentioned during the interview by 2weeks1gather, I am a big fan of the Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, who is also now the inventor of "book-tour performance arts". I have read many of her books and have thus far written four articles abt the great dame, as shown below:

* 希臘神話【潘妮洛普】: 觀點與角度 (上,中,下集) / Margaret Atwood's "The Penelopiad": Point of View Part 1; Part 2; Part 3
* 兩週一聚 (二十一期) 「假如你是一本書......」【瑪格麗特‧愛特伍 : 認同与生存】 / 2weeks1gather (#21)「If you were a book...... 」【Margaret Atwood: Identity and Survival

Presently, I am drafting an article abt Margaret Atwood's "Life Before Man" 瑪格麗特‧愛特伍: 【在未有男人(人類)之前】. Hopefully, I will be able to post the final version on Lotusandcedar soon.

References:
* Kempton: Sept 9, 2010 "2010 CLIFF picks in the wake of The Flood"
* Source of video: In the Wake of the Flood (Teaser) from filmswelike on Vimeo.
* 兩周一聚六月訪問微豆: E-interview
of Haricot by Readandeat of 2weeks1gather that was published on June 27, 2010

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

利益衝突, 專業道德, 友愛風紀, 裙帶關係 / Conflict of Interests, Professionalism, Fraternalism, & Nepotism

(This is a follow-up to my August 18, 2010 blog article "My Friend Barbara 我的好朋友巴巴拉"

Human resources experts generally agree that fraternizing in the workplace (as opposed to "teaming up") should be discouraged. In fact, the Canadian Forces has taken one step further in recent months and relieved the duties of three senior commanding officers in Afghanistan, Haiti and the frigate HMS Moncton for allegedly having "inappropriate" relationships with their colleagues and/or subordinates, thereby breaching the Department of Defence's policies. That such behaviours may pose risk to military operations is understandable. But should fraternization be an issue when life-and-death is not part of an organization's business lines?

I have always subscribed to the theory that developing personal relationships at the workplace will create potential conflict of interest situations, which might hinder an executive's ability to make decisions in an impartial manner. A manager must not only steer clear of real conflicts but also of any perceptions of being in a conflict of interest situation. For example: A promotion given to someone with whom you have a relationship may raise other people's suspicions of favouritism and undue influence, even though the competition process is clean and no rules have been breached. The wise thing to do is to have full disclosure at an early stage and take steps to avoid the perceived conflict of interest situation by withdrawing yourself from the decision-making process.

However, as I mentioned in my August 18, 2010 blog article "My Friend Barbara 我的好朋友巴巴拉", there is a human dimension to the equation. Despite my staunch adherence to the conflict of interest guidelines, I had developed, unbeknown even to myself until after her accidental death, my liking of Barbara as a friend. The rigid workplace ethics at the time did not allow any mollification of professional behaviours under the guidelines. So, does it mean that an emotion suppressed by protocols could have been a friendship denied? That, I would never find out.

Now, I am not advocating unchecked fraternizing within the workplace. I am just wondering whether there is a neutral spot somewhere btwn the two extremes of strict professionalism and wonting nepotism, where friendship/fraternalism may survive, where we do not have to check humanity at the office door.

My other blog articles on Conflict of Interest:
* 利益衝突 / Conflict of Interest http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2006/12/conflict-of-interests.html
* 人力資源管理: 在工作環境可否有友情或愛情? ∕ Human Resources & People Management: Should we sanction friendship and love affairs at the office? http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2007/12/human-resources-people-management.html

Monday, September 06, 2010

財政政策: 還富於民 / Fiscal Policy: Surplus Refund from Government

Here are the comments I posted at Space's September 05, 2010 blog article entitled "不幸而言中:開倉派米換取選票???"

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Space:

I actually read your long articles several times last week. But, there are so many intertwining social, economic, fiscal, regional, national, global issues that I didn't even know where to start!! I bet you one can write a master degree thesis based on all these :O

So, let me just provide some short comments in point form.
* Finance departments in many countries have also been using the under-estimate/over-achieve approach in reporting their budget balance sheets.
* There are no fixed rules in terms of how much reserve a country should have. There are just too many controllable and uncontrollable variables in the equations (including systemic failures and random fluctuations of market and emotions, natural and technology disasters, party politics, geo-political crisis, etc) that will allow the formulation of any accurate long-term risk management model. I mean look at Prez Obama's optimistic Recovery Summer predictions six months ago and the US economic growth stats now.
* Thus the distribution of any so-called surplus by a govt is a calculated risk.
* In the decision-making process, policy-makers should expect everyone will want a piece of the pie. So they should start with the 5Ws: Who? What? Why? When? How? But that's just a start.
* There are also other "winning/losing conditions" that must be identified and analyzed. For example: Investment in education by itself without considering job prospect for graduates down the road will only create a group of highly educated, but unhappy and unemployed youths/adults. Another example: There are groups that will never be happy no matter what the govt's fiscal policies and actions are. So, is the govt going to fund only 'friends' but not 'foes'?
* In distributing money, the idea is to get the biggest bang for the govt/tax payer bucks.
* Did I say govt/tax payer bucks? So, whose money is it? Govt's or tax payers'? In HK's case, does the national govt have a say over the SAR govt?
* The roles and responsibilities of govt, industry, public, and other sectors of the society in managing a country's future must be agreed upon. This is not the case in the US right now (think The Tea Party). In Hong Kong, the public has been entrapped into a blame game, accusing the big companies of taking their money and run. As well, the perception of merchants sitting in legislature and protecting their own business interest is not sitting well with the public.
* Do companies in HK have a reputation of being good corporate citizens and taking on social responsibilities, apart from raking in profits (or losing their shirts whichever the case may be)? Without trust, it's difficult to improve communications.
* From a policy-making perspective, the claim of "entitlement" to something by a group is very difficult to deal with. Why would a group want to negotiate and compromise on something that they should already have in the first place? "Give the money back to the citizens 還富於民" seems to imply just that.
* Lastly, the solution to solving the poverty problem is not by handling out money left right and centre. The focus should be on sustainability, multiplying effect, and measurable results.

So much for now !!

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(updated 20101020)

Here is his response, posted Tuesday, September 07, 2010 12:01:00 AM

The Inner Space said...

Big Brother Haricot,thank you very much for your hardship reading my extensive lengthy blog and posting your precious comments.

Comparing with the world history of Governing and Politics,HK is just at her infant stage, we are still learning how to governing ourselves under China's One Country Two Systems environment 一國兩制 for the last 13 years.

Before 1997 HK was a British colony ruled by the governor appointed by LONDON. Since then our local government is governing HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION 香港特別行政區 under the storng influence from beijing.

Why Beijing granted HK such Special Admin Region status,and promised it shall continue for 50 years 五十年不變呢?

The "Taiwan Unity" 台灣因素 is the main concern,and since KMT 馬英九 returned as the ruling party,more and more economical communication has started between the two shores though they both carefully avoiding any political issues yet.

However, HK has begun to change more and more like a Chinese City 特區不特。The contribution of HK towards Beijing China has lessened and will become useless and a burden really soon IF this trend does not change.

Save from the fact that Beijing did not levy any tax from HK citizens. Furthermore the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison 駐港解放軍部隊軍費 our citizens do not need to pay single penny.

Cautious and Wise usage and spending of our reserves 外匯儲備和財政儲備 is imperative to keep HK from requesting more and more aids from the Central Beijing Govt. of China.

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Friday, September 03, 2010

林子祥 - "點解娶老婆" 1979 / George Lam - "When MY Girl Becomes THE Wife &%$@#"

有些男人,就算在情場打勝了仗,結了婚之後又会口出怨言,這是不是他們立心不定的悔意?還是下種「七年之癢」的籍口,?!



廣東專輯: 1979 "抉擇 — 點解娶老婆"
曲 : 林子祥 / 詞 : 黃霑

從前成日拍拖 日又拍夜也拖
暈陀陀 佢變咗我老婆
舊陣情話佢多 現在成日發火
亂鬧亂喝 每天我有禍
佢一變我老婆 點解乜都反轉咗
一變我老婆 我出多一聲都惹禍

從前成日拍拖 日又拍夜也拖
談情時間 永不會肚餓
現在成日罵我 仍然嫌未夠多
重鬧冇錢 養乜野老婆
知道咁受難 當初死都不拍拖
總之我係傻 當初點解娶老婆

The above post is a humourous response to Fresh Designer's Aug 31, 2010 blog article "戀愛英雌!".

Links / References:
* Fresh Designer's blog article: 戀愛英雌! 2010年8月30日
* Wikipedia: "George Lam" 暱稱阿Lam 林子祥
* YouTube credit: Zoundcracker

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

評價網站: 網上評分醫療專業人員 / Rating Sites: On-line Rating of Physicians, Medical Doctors MDs


Is there a doctor in the (dog) house?

I have heard this cliché often enough in movies and on TV. When someone yells "Is there a doctor in the house?", I understand right-a-way there is an emergency situation that requires medical attention. Whether the doctor who is willing to volunteer (some will not identify themselves for fear of potential liabilities and law suits) is a good one or not seems immaterial. But what if I am the patient and I actually have a choice. Will I just accept any doctor listed in the phone book, or referred to me by others? How do I know whether a doctor has been sued for malpractice?

Fear not !!! I just recently discovered that there are actually websites where patients can evaluate and make comments abt their physicians/medical doctors MDs. Now, I don't usually believe in on-line consumer reports because information can be manipulated by friends and supporters of a given product or service. However, when I searched the names of two doctors that I have dealings with, I had to say the comments posted were not that far off from my own personal view. The "good" doctor always takes time to explain things and treats ppl with care and respect, while the "bad" doc is impatient and even tells patients to stop complaining abt her painful poking and jabbing. Now, whenever I hear the phrase "Is there a doctor in the house?", my immediate reaction would be "Just not those in the dog house".

So, here is a question: Are ratings sites flourishing behind a veil of anonymity ?!! / 評分網站蓬勃發展 - 但躲在背後是不是一個不願透露姓名的面紗?!!

Please feel free to comment on the pros/cons of rating sites. Do you think the info are reliable / misleading?


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here is a report from CTV, Canada:

CTV.ca News Staff / Jan. 13 2007 9:45 PM ET

Whether your physician is the hurried type with his hand on the doorknob, has the bedside manner of a tornado, or has the patience of a saint, you can now anonymously rate your doctor on a controversial new site.

Founders of RateMDs.com say their website is designed to help patients better navigate the world of health care. But the free site is being denounced by critics who say the anonymous postings are potentially defamatory, and don't provide enough protection from disgruntled patients who use them to post malicious clients.

There are more than 47,500 doctors listed on the site, of which nearly 7,000 were Canadian. The California-based website is now getting some 300 Canadian patients registered each day.

The doctors are rated on punctuality, friendliness and helpfulness. Depending on a doctor's score, the website will assign a yellow happy face, green neutral face or blue frown next to the doctor's name. Users can also post their feedback without leaving their name.

"I found the unnecessary callbacks to be nothing but an easy cash grab for the doctor. It is absolutely ridiculous to have to return monthly for a prescription that you have been on for years," one statement says.

Another statement complains that the doctor "continues to advertise that she is accepting new patients even though the waiting period is regularly one to two hours."

One posting on an obstetrician/gynecologist says, "I think he should have been a vet, strictly for horses."

Yet another note complained "Very unsympathetic to my concerns, when I switched to another MD after moving, I found his record taking was abysmal and some pertinent tests were not ordered."

The website's creator in California calls the site a much-needed shopping tool for patients that delivers a clear message to doctors. "It's a matter of life and death," co-founder John Swapceinski told CTV News. "This is the way media is moving, so get used to it."

The site was create in March 2004 after the success of another site Swapceinski founded, called RateMyProfessors.com. The doctor rating site, which has expanded to include Canadian listings, has exploded in popularity here in the past month. The sites rely on volunteer administrators to delete ratings that may:

Defy online guidelines, such as prohibitions against obscenity
Include racially derogatory comments
Refer to pending legal action
Allege illegal behaviour
Identify the patient

But Dr. Michael Gordon, of the University of Toronto's Joint Centre for Bioethics, is no fan of the site because he says the information just isn't credible. He says the complaints are anonymous so an irate patient could potentially barrage the site with several angry comments.

"You don't know what's motivating them, there is no way because it's anonymous," he said.

Similarly, doctors could file repeated favourable ratings to falsely inflate their reputations. The Canadian Medical Protective Association, the Canadian organization that represents 71,000 doctors in medical malpractice matters, has already asked the site to remove potentially defamatory comments. The site's operators have so far removed at least two of the seven most scathing comments about doctors at the request of the CMPA. The organization has also asked for the names and addresses of users who have filed "clearly defamatory" statements, but site managers have refused. The CMPA has also requested:

That it be provided with the users' IP (Internet protocol address) so that it can then ask for a court order to determine if the information can be used to reveal their identities
That the site post a notice to Canadian users telling them that freedom of speech and libel laws differ in each country
That the site remove Canadian content identified as defamatory

Swapceinski has said he would not give out identifying information unless there is a threat of violence in a posted comment. He told CTV News that the site is created for patients who may be afraid to talk to their doctors and want the anonymity of the Internet to air their beefs.

"People have a right to express their opinion and not to have their free speech stifled by threats from medical associations," Swapceinski said.

But doctors say patients need to confront their physicians or even file a complaint with their local College of Physicians and Surgeons should they have concerns. Sites that encourage anonymous ratings raise thorny questions about the boundaries of Internet law, observers say.

CTV's legal analyst Steven Skurka says that a defence of innocent dissemination that can be used under Canadian libel law.

"That would provide a full defence to a host website provider to any issue raised about the content posted on the website," he told CTV.ca. "As long as the host has no control over the comment that is posted, they'll be able to rely on that defence."

If however, there is an element of control -- which is open to interpretation -- the website provider may face accusations of libel, Skurka said.

With a report from CTV's Avis Favaro and Elizabeth St. Philip
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20070112/doctor_site_070112/

++++++++++++++++++

More related articles/info:
* The Ratemds.com website mentioned in the CTV transcript
* National Review of Medicine
* New York Times
* Boston Globe
* Wikipedia: Rating Site

Photo Credit:
* Wikipedia Physician / Medical doctor

Disclaimer / Caution: This article reflects only my personal experience and does not constitute endorsement of any on-line websites. The posting and use of such on-line rating information are controversial. For matters concerning health and well-beings, readers must consult and seek advice from certified medical professionals.
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