Cancer Scare

Air pollution, but also unhealthy lifestyles are to blame for rising cancer rates

It is shocking to read in the news today that cancer is claiming 18 percent more lives in Hong Kong than a decade ago. This means the number of cancer patients has grown 27 percent in the last 10 years, an annual rate of 2.5 percent, according to Department of Health and Hospital Authority data.

The five most commonly diagnosed cancers, which account for 60 percent of all new cases are: lung, colorectal, breast, liver and prostate.

Today is World Cancer Day with the tagline "Not Beyond Us", in the hopes of spreading an optimistic message that if people change their lifestyles into more healthier ones, they will have a higher chance of preventing a cancer diagnosis.

However no matter how many times doctors and health experts preach to the public about the importance of eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and getting health check ups, not many seem to take heed.

There are still many people, particularly women, who would rather drink a potion than exercise for 20 minutes, or they constantly cite the excuse of not having enough time to hit the gym.

We wonder if these alarming statistics will encourage people, particularly those who have seen cancer cases in their own family histories, to actually try to change their situation.

The incidence of cancer in Hong Kong is rising at a faster pace, with a new record of 27,848 cases in 2012 -- an increase of 27 percent -- compared to 2002, according to the Hospital Authority's Hong Kong Cancer Registry update last November.

Most of the increases are in female patients, who are contracting cancers in lung, uterus and breast.

Lung cancer has overtaken colorectal cancer in top spot this year, and Dr Daniel Chua Tsin-tien, associate director at Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital's department of radiotherapy, says breast and colorectal cancer will continue to have high rates in Hong Kong because of people smoking and eating more red meat.

Will the government consider raising taxes for cigarettes, but more importantly begin clamping down severely on those polluting the air we breathe? Surely the government does not want to have a a health care breakdown because of the ever growing cancer cases that in all honesty impact the city's productivity?

It's long overdue for the government to be more pro-active about preventative healthcare. Surely healthy taxpayers than those draining resources would be in the government's best interests?

Hong Kong's Late Night

Johnson Lee's first guest on Sze U Tonight is Sandra Ng

For the longest time, I always wondered why Hong Kong didn't have a late night talk show format like David Letterman or Jimmy Fallon. The city is full of celebrities and socialites -- who wouldn't want the exposure -- particularly a relatively controlled one -- to promote their movies, albums, concerts and products?

Seemed like a natural to me, but the entertainment media scene in Hong Kong seemed to be dominated by print and online, with particular attention paid to what the stars were wearing than what they were saying...

Or perhaps there were concerns a celebrity wouldn't be able to sustain a relatively intelligent conversation for more than five minutes?!

But now my notion has been realized by TVB.

On Sunday the broadcaster debuted Sze U Tonight, featuring host comedian Johnson Lee Sze-chit. Check it out here.

However, critics pounced on the show for copying the look of Late Show with David Letterman complete with a skyline of Hong Kong in the background, a wooden desk, vintage microphone and a mug with pencils.

Cultural critic Jimmy Pang Chi-ming said the show demonstrated Hong Kong's television industry hitting a new low, with ATV recycling programs and struggling to pay its staff their salaries, while TVB had a virtual monopoly.

"TVB has no competitor, which means they do not need to invest in production," Pang said. In the long run, the TV industry will shrink if it cannot keep talented people. This is definitely a new low," he said.

Content-wise the first show was on the crass side. There was a long trailer explaining how Lee was lured back to TV (a long-winded and outrageous situation where he was a hermit somewhere in the New Territories with long gray hair and relied on a cane).

But all of a sudden he was transformed into a clean cut man complete with a sharp suit walking along Lan Kwai Fong and in front of The Peninsula before bursting onto the stage very much like every other talk show host in the United States.

However, unlike Conan O'Brien who was so nervous on his first outing that he constantly fiddled with his watch, Lee was relatively comfortable in front of a studio audience that included his parents. He claimed that for 30 years he had watched late night television in the US and so you could see he was keen to imitate those before him.

First up was actress Sandra Ng Kwan-yu, who is promoting her upcoming Chinese New Year film 12 Golden Ducks (ie gigolos). After showing a clip from the movie (that included Michelle Loo), Ng invited three male co-stars to come out where they strutted their stuff.

Then Lee suggested a competition between him and one of the men with the other two in a dance competition that Ng would judge. One had to dance as if he had to go do a Number 2, another like he couldn't scratch his itch... you get the idea.

It was a good laugh, but what about a decent conversation with Ng about the film or more on how she had to transform herself physically into a man for the part?

Nevertheless, the show continues with three more stars, two women and a guy coming out and playing another game with Lee with a selection of raw and cooked eggs. They have to smash them on the opposite sex's head, and whoever pics the raw eggs wins. It's funny to watch because Lee gets three raw eggs.

The musical guest? Alex To.

We'll have to see how long this show lasts, but with Lee being so passionate about finally being able to do a late night talk show format, it can't go any lower... can it?

Quote of the Day: Regina Ip

Regina Ip hints she may run for chief executive in 2017. Any votes for her?

in June last year, Beijing came out with its white paper, stating that Hong Kong would have "universal suffrage" for the 2017 elections, where two to three candidates who were vetted by the mainland would be allowed to run for chief executive.

Already speculation was rife about who would throw their hats into the ring -- incumbent Leung Chun-ying, former security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and Antony Leung Kam-chung, former Financial Secretary and colleague of Ip.

Yesterday she said partially confirmed rumours, saying she would "make preparations", hinting she would run for the 2017 election.

The 64-year-old had plans to run in 2012, but had too few supporters in the Election Committee. But this time around Ip said she might consider running for chief executive.

The Broomhead caricature of Ip

"I think I need to make preparations... do some basic work first. You won't concede that you will not be able to win before even knowing who else is going to run," she said.

She has already anticipated CY Leung will run again. "Mr Leung is not old. And it seems he is rather interested in the work," Ip said.

Did she mean that earnestly or sarcastically?

However, the chair of the New People's Party did believe that as a woman she had an edge over male candidates. "Women are gentle. Even if your stance is very firm, you can adopt a soft and gentle approach," Ip said.

Is she perhaps referring to her mishandling of Article 23 back in 2002-2003 (which led to her resignation) and learned a lesson from it?

When she was trying to push through legislation of Article 23, Ip famously said in October 2002: "Hitler was elected by the people. But he ended up killing 7 million people. This proves that democracy is not a cure-all medicine."

Straw polls already show a large majority of people would not vote for Ip if she ran in 2017 election.

Maybe it's time to rethink that hairstyle again...

Making Fresh Demands Again

Some 13,000 people showed up to protest for universal suffrage this afternoon

My weekend was totally sidelined by a terrible bug that wreaked havoc with my stomach... as a result I couldn't take part in the first major pro-democracy march since the Occupy/Umbrella Movement protests ended in December.

Organizers were hoping for 50,000, but only about 13,000 showed up to march from Victoria Park in Causeway Bay to Chater Garden in Central.

Nevertheless young and old were there, many carrying banners that read, "I want true universal suffrage", echoing demands from the massive 79-day protest last year.

Before today's event, there were concerns if the protest would go ahead after police warned protest organizers to have about 100 marshalls to prevent people from "occupying" Chater Garden, but they claimed to only have about 60 to 70 on hand.

Young and old came out with yellow umbrellas to march

Police also didn't want to take any chances and had some 2,000 officers fanned out throughout the route, which now in hindsight seems unnecessary, as the appetite for protest marching has died down.

Reports say the rally happened smoothly and those who started near the head of the rally that was led by Occupy founders, Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Chan Kin-man and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming at around 2.20pm, finished in Central about two hours later.

"The [turnout] is indeed fewer than what we expected, but this only shows that Hong Kong people are no longer satisfied with conventional ways of protest," said organizer Daisy Chan Sin-ying.

"It doesn't mean Hong Kong people will pocket whatever [proposal] that's on offer," she said. "We will review whether the people want new ways to pressure the government... If the people are tired with taking part in marches; it's not the front which is in trouble, but the government... I am confident Hong Kong people will show up again when the right moment comes."

Chan may be right, as the movement lost momentum after the protests were finally put down by the police in early December. When Beijing continued to firmly back Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, many became jaded and despondent.

How to keep the protest movement alive is the $64 million question, and anyone will any brilliant ideas will be welcome. In the meantime everyone's back to trying to eke out a living, continue being house slaves and indentured to one of the several tycoons in town as the economy slows down thanks to Chinese President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption crackdown.

What else is new?