癌症解碼

幾經辛苦看完了Dr Jason Fung寫的The Cancer Code。為甚麼看得辛苦呢? 第一自己英文不好, 看專業範疇的知識理解能力有限, 第二醫學有很多相關相連的概念, 看到醫學的名詞就要google一下, 維基提供了很多解釋, 自己一知半解地吸收丁點的知識, 看不明有時找中文來看, 卻發覺維基大部份都沒有中文版的, 有中文的一般都十分簡潔, 偶然才有詳盡的解釋, 不論簡潔或詳盡, 看完也一頭霧水。就這樣糊糊塗塗的看完全書了。儘管了解有限, 讀完的感覺是: fascinating。我應承過朋友看完這書會寫讀後感, 所以現在就胡謅一篇。 

我現在很少談法律, 有些香港的案件及案例, 蜻蜒點水一樣, 看了個梗概, 無論怎樣手癢也不動筆。政治的事情就更加不會開腔, 畢竟在網上為國捐軀的義士太多, 我扺擋不了, 只好曳甲而逃。前些時看到一篇澳洲民調報導,  問年青一代, 若發生像俄侵烏的戰事, 他們會否奮勇為國捐軀, 是血肉的, 不是鍵盤的 。Not surprisingly, 民調雖不能作準, 反應也是預期之內, 大部份人: 睬你就傻。  

Jason Fung何許人也? 我怎會看起The Cancer Code來?

但凡實行間歇性斷食(intermittent fasting)的人, 大概都會在Youtube看過Jason Fung的解述。Jason Fung在加拿大學醫, 然後在美國深造成為腎臟專科醫生(nephrologist), 十多年前大力鼓吹改變飲食習慣以改善健康, 以此治療肥胖症(obesity)及逆轉2型糖尿(type 2 diabetes)。 我就是看了以下這訪問後(片長一小時), 才買這本書來看的(全書連注釋共360頁)。 

這本書是癌的史書, 不是提供防癌的秘方, 也沒有列出防癌的食物, 但有提供防癌的建議。

What is cancer?

"The Eight Hallmarks of Cancer

1. Sustaining proliferative signaling;

2. Evading growth suppressors;

3. Resisting cell death;

4. Enabling replicative immortality;

5. Inducing angiogenesis;

6. Activating invasion and metastasis;

7. Deregulating cellular energetics; and

8. Evading immune destruction."

(p.29)

成年的人體每天都有以億計的新生細胞, 取代同數量死掉的, 只有新出生至青春期的人新增細胞量才會超過死掉的, 應該凋亡(apoptosis)、受損不能修補的細胞繼續生長, 就可以引致產生瘤腫(tumors)。人體是很奧妙的, 自身俱備互相制衡的機制, 促進生長的原癌基因(proto-oncogene)像汽車的油門, 抑癌基因(tumor suppressor gene)就像煞車系統, 一個促進另一個抑制生長, 兩者互相牽制發展就相安無事, 生長過度活躍, 就會生癌。譬如人受傷後, 原癌基因會活躍起來療傷, 傷口痊癒了, 生長就理應放緩變回中性的, 癌細胞卻會繼續發出生長的訊號, 在那種情況下原癌基因就會變成癌基因(oncogene)了。相反而言 , 抑癌基因產生病變而失去了抑制功能, 也可能變成癌。例如抑制乳癌的1型及2型的抑癌基因(BRCA1)(BRCA2)原本是抗癌的, 在病變下卻引致5%的乳癌。人體正常細胞只能有限度複製40至70次, 癌細胞卻可以避過凋亡, 無止境地複製。當身體出現瘤腫時, 新增的癌細胞離開原有吸收養分的血管越來越遠, 養分不足, 故此就會像新發展房屋區一樣, 築建道路及其他設施來連結主幹線,  產生了血管增新(angiogenesis), 給瘤腫提供養料。

說到這裏先打個岔。

十多年前我在書局買了一本精裝減價書,  就是講angiogenesis的, 近年把書漂了去漂書櫃, 已忘了書名, 好像是Dr Folkman's War。看了這書後, 我開始戒糖, 不論咖啡奶茶, 一概不加糖, 連檸檬茶也不加糖, 汽水果汁也不飲, 買食品會看包裝所列的糖份, 含糖超過10%的多數不買, 因為糖是癌細胞喜歡的養料。我年青時可以在一個晚上吃掉一盒花街朱古力拖肥(Quality Street Chocolate Toffee), 也可以面不改容吃掉一盒雙皇蓮蓉月餅, 只要狠下決心戒糖, 嚴守紀律, 一定辦得到的。 

癌最致命是入侵其他身體組織和擴散(metastasis)。正常細胞是不會四處跑的, 胃細胞不會走到膀胱生長, 因為會活不到。癌細胞生命力強, 有能力四處漂泊。當然, 癌細胞走進血液中是幾乎全部被纖滅的, 由原本的瘤腫處走到別的身體組織, 是千辛萬苦的經歷, 別的組織排斥能力強勁, 所以癌細胞會不斷變異以求存活, 可以抗藥, 也可以蟄伏(dormant)數十載。人體奧妙, 免疫系統發揮很大的殺癌能力, 但癌是潛伏在我們身體的, 一直伺機發作。微型擴散(micrometastasis)基本上是檢測不到的。

" Because cancer is a dormant part of ourselves, and a known ever-present danger, multicell organisms have evolved potent anticancer strategies, including DNA repair, apoptosis, the Hay-flick limit, and immune surveillance. Natural killer (NK) cells are a part of our innate immune system that --surprise, surprise--naturally kill tumor cells. NK cells constantly patrol the body like a vigilant police force, looking for potentially cancerous cells. Orders? Shoot to kill. If the anticancer defenses are impaired, cancer may flourish."
(pp 252-253)

免疫系統中的T細胞是專業殺手, 專殺病原體(pathogens)(引起生病的細菌、病毒或微生物), 但為免被濫殺, 正常健康的細胞靠一層PD-1蛋白(programmed cell death protein 1)包住, 防止被自己的殺手攻擊, 胚胎細胞在母體裏也是被PD-1蛋白包圍而免受錯誤攻擊, 癌細胞也用同一方法生產大量PD-1蛋白來冒充正常細胞, 逃避殲滅。道高一尺魔高一丈, 科學家洞悉這種偽裝, 於是研發藥物來掀開(uncloaked)癌細胞所披上的羊皮, 抑制PD-1蛋白, 以便T細胞殺癌。這就是現代的免疫療法(modern immunotherapy), 用自己的免疫系統來防癌、殺癌。

Jason Fung在書中一直以seed and soil作比喻, 癌是種籽, 飲食(diet)是土壤。

" Because the seed of cancer is ever-present in all our cells, an important question is: why don't you get cancer? If it is not a seed problem, then it may be a soil problem. Diet is a hugely important determinant of progression because nutrient availability is inextricably linked to cell growth, particularly for cancer cells. Normal cells need both nutrients and growth factors to proliferate, but the growth signaling of cancer cells is always switched on, so the only limiting factor is nutrients. "
(p.285)

Jason Fung認為約35%癌症的成因基於飲食, 是繼吸煙後致癌的第二大成因。"The prevalence of most types of cancer has been slowly decreasing over time. Conspicuously, obesity-related cancers are increasing in incidence, making diet one of the most important preventative strategies at our disposal today. " (p.286) 他認為防治癌症是沒有秘方的。有些初步研究建議吃某些食物對防癌可能具益處, 說法只此而已。以飲食來防癌歸結於避免由高胰島素血症(hyperinsulinemia)引致的疾病, 包括肥胖症及2期糖尿。他時常舉的例子是阿拉斯加原居民及南太平洋群島的人原本並無沒有癌症、肥胖症及2期糖尿的, 當他們飲食改變成吃進口的精緻碳水化合物及糖(refined carbohydrates and sugar), 就出現癌症、肥胖症及2期糖尿了。不論是否肥胖, 胰島素水平高的人患癌風險倍增。保持低胰島素水平有助預防癌症, 但生酮飲食(keto diet)能否防治癌症是沒有定論的。當癌症進展了, 飲食對癌的影響就變得複雜了。

"Intermittent fasting is a promising nutritional approach for cancer prevention, as it protects against many of the risk factors such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and inflammation. Low-carbohydrate diets reduce glucose and insulin, but not the other nutrient sensors, mTOR, and AMPK. Fasting simultaneously reduces all human nutrient sensors and most of the growth pathways, such as PI3K, mTOR, IGF-1, and also increases autophagy and mitophagy."

(p.290)

細胞自噬(autophagy)即是細胞自己分解和回收的過程, 可以減少感染疾病的機會。線粒體自噬(mitophagy)是損傷的線粒體釋放促進凋亡因子, 誘導細胞進入凋亡; 另一方面, 損傷的線粒體通過自噬自我清除,  維持細胞的存活。

簡而言之, 在飲食方面防癌的做法是, 減少吃精緻碳水化合物及糖, 實行間歇性斷食, 增強免疫能力, 以自身能力消滅癌細胞。

Jason Fung的Youtube頻道, 對實行間歇性斷食方面提供了很多方法和指引。我也實行超過兩年了, 感覺良好, 大部份時間每天都只在6小時內進食, 18小時不吃東西, 當然包括不吃零食, 從未試過餓到暈。晚上6時後不吃東西, 翌日早上10時打羽毛球兩小時, 仍然龍精虎猛, 毫無疲態。所以fasting並非想像的恐怖, 不一定會餓到暈的。 

在食方面, Jason Fung只推介了喝綠茶, 因為便宜方便, 兒茶素(catechin)多, 也平均推遲癌症發作7.3年:

" In 2000, researchers in Japan found that high consumption of green tea delayed the average age of cancer onset by 7.3 years and reduced breast cancer recurrence. Green tea extract supplements were shown to reduce the incidence of colorectal adenomas by over 50 percent in small pilot studies. In prostate cancer, green tea extracts block the progression of high-grade precancerous lesions. These studies are promising but highly preliminary, but green tea is one of the few chemopreventive tools that is a low-cost, natural food with no negative side effects."

(p.292)

在看這書之前已大約猜到Jason Fung會從飲食方面說癌, 對於他沒有列出防癌食物的名單是毫不意外的, 畢竟他並非治癌專家, 但他從癌的歷史及治癌的3個發展模式概念(paradigm)來闡述以飲食防癌的看法說服力強。年紀越大, 中招的可能越大, 潛伏身體內的癌細胞隨着年紀大免疫力減退, 就越容易肆虐。飲食的節制, 久而久之成為習慣其實也不會感到節制的桎梏。傳統習慣改了也自然成為另一種模式的習慣。有人習慣了每日吃3餐, 到時到候就像奉行某種教條就要吃了, 而不管是否真的有此需要, 像迷信一樣, 一定要吃早餐, 一定要吃飯, 一定要吃很多水果, 又在餐與餐之間不斷吃零食等。Jason Fung覺得傳統的食物金字塔(food pyramid)以澱粉為基礎是完全錯誤的。我不打算游說任何人, 我接納他的論據所以盡量跟從他的做法。大家可以抽點看劇的時間, 看下Jason Fung論述間歇性斷食的好處, 也許能夠開闊視野, 脾益身體。

我希望這篇文沒有曲解作者的說法, 但難保不會因為力有不逮而說錯了。若有問題或意見, 應直接在他的Youtube頻道反映。

Gloating

Thrive on gloating

Flying missiles start to dive
Cannon fodder get no chance to cry
Vultures hover high above
Choosing the better of the slaughterhouse

My phone pings, staggering news of total destruction
Pangs of despair, watching the demise of Ukraine
Are there rules of war
Brazen resistance bitter as gall

Infantrymen standing face to face
Glossing their weapons in a deadly race
The war is no Nintendo game
Testing the mettle of the comedian whose adversary a black belt king

What's it called when Bloody Mary goes without vodka
Bloodbath, mate, molotov cocktail toast to purgatory
What else can you say
Hold your tongue, keyboard warrior, don't take pleasure in others' graves.

朋友說, 玉枕太多工夫了, 只想吃, 不想做。其實簡單的煮食也可以是佳餚, 我用了一些玉枕的剩餘食材做了這麒麟豆腐, 只花了幾分鐘。把proscuitto包住豆腐, 蓋上冬菰片, 蒸完加點油和醬油而已。

天災人禍, 嚴重影響民生, 蔬菜價格倍升。這裏出售的華人菜, 都不論斤兩, 一把一把用橡筋圈扎住出售的, 我從不考究重量, 也沒有人會考究。過往買菜心, 一般是$1一把或$4三把。水災過後菜架空空如也, 陸陸續續恢復供應後變成$10只有三把。我上週用$6.6買了兩把, 回家秤一下, shy of 480克, 13兩也不夠。戰事使油菜價格飆升, 升的當然不限於石油和蔬菜, 別以為不駕車就不受影響, 燃料價上升, 運費自然跟隨, 然後轉嫁到商品價格上。新病毒的出現可能是難免的, 發展成大爆發是人為的失誤, 戰爭卻是可以完全避免的。只有那些不用上戰場做炮灰的人才會雀躍。上過戰場, 嚇到屎流屁滾成河, 戰狼變羔羊才懂安份守己。至於人性, 還有嗎? 還可以討論嗎?

玉枕

The cruel war is raging, razing the entire city to a mound. People start to live beneath the ground in bunkers. A morsel of food is a diminutive consolation, the quagmire of war. In after years, new buildings will rise en masse on the once mass graves of obliteration, the sphinx of life. There were poignant scenes when chubby toddlers wrapped up in duvets exposed their precocious faces in the rubble, the ruble-driven rubble. The legality of the war is put into question, be it international law or self-imposed justification, the juxtaposition of information and disinformation. Information is we choose what we believe, otherwise disinformation. Democracy and totalitarian alike, whetting the bayonet to decide your plight, piercing into innocent hearts and etching into souls, for non-existent weapons of mass destruction or kingdom of re-formation. Enmity engulfed empathy. This is our era, no time for respite. The dead are other's lives. 

When the pandemic turns endemic, life as usual, needs no panic. A surge, a spike, the loss of lives, the horoscope of fate.

A friend asked me if I ever savoured the "Jade Pillow", a renowned Chiu Chow dish. I candidly admitted this dish was unknown to me or forgotten by the senility of age. Thus, I create one from imagination, to spread misinformation to the satisfaction of the bulging belly of the gastronome. Life is fugacious, eat another way, live another day. It gives me the strength to contemplate a recipe for a pillow made from jade.

玉枕食譜:

1. 黃芽白, 也叫大白菜
2. 上湯
3. 豬頸肉或鵪鶉胸或鴨胸
4. 蝦
5. 冬菰
6. 金華火腿/proscuitto

做這道菜的份量要視乎你要做多少件, 所以上面沒有列出份量來。一瓣黃芽白做一件, 黃芽白是用作包裹其他材料的, 所以完整一瓣不用切, 而且不用外面幾瓣, 因為太厚太大也有骨, 而且也太青綠, 也不用中心的, 因為面積太小。

這道雋永清優菜, 不是乳豬全體那種大鑼大鼓登場, 所以在調味方面也要配合得清雅, 不要調得像打破幾個醬埕那種。既然叫玉, 當然要柔和有光澤、略透明, 調味要循這方向做。

先把黃芽白煮稔, 然後擠掉水份備用, 擠水要輕力平壓, 盡量保持菜瓣完整, 否則難以包裹。上湯主要用雞和豬骨餚出來。至於肉方面首選鵪鶉胸, 因為鮮甜肉嫩, 包在黃芽白裏一口咬下去可咬得斷, 咬不斷的肉就會拉拉扯扯的, 把玉枕弄得糟糕, 每一口咬下去都要包含各種材料才行。鵪鶉胸調味然後用平底鑊煎兩面, 不用全熟, 煎好切片備用。把浸稔的冬菰平刀片最頂的一片備用, 然後就可以開始包裹了。我這裏金華火腿難求, 只好用proscuitto, 不論金華火腿或proscuitto, 都不是主力, 不能太多, 以免過份凸出。包的層次是最底是proscuitto, 然後是冬菰片, 冬菰上面是鵪鶉胸, 最頂是蝦。包好之後用個高度可以完全淹蓋玉枕的器皿放入上湯浸玉枕半小時, 吸油吸味。之後把玉枕放在碟中加一點上湯進去蒸十分鐘, 用broccolini伴碟, 蒸好把蒸出的水倒入平底鑊, 加點生粉水調味來煮, 再淋上面。晶熒玉枕, 舉箸喫菜, 欲罷不能。

玉枕上飛魚子游戈

吃就不要怕功夫多, 把用剩的冬菰放進上湯裏, 一餸一湯, 有蝦有菜有菰有肉, 芳香優雅, 若飲醇醪, 悠悠自醉。

竹笙冬菰湯

老伴學起佛來, 不至於完全不佔油葷, 但大部份時間茹素, 所以我也做了素玉枕, 主要材料是蕈菌類: 雲耳、靈芝菰、茶樹菰、冬菰及雞腿菰, 另外加刴碎大豆芽的豆, 芋頭粒等。不能用上湯, 調味的難度頗大。

我每次寫吃的, 總有朋友投訴有得看沒得吃, 這一次我可以理直氣壯了, 藍田日暖, 良玉生煙, 可望而不可即啊。在疫情中, 看戰火蹂躪, 滄海月明珠有淚, 玉枕夢魘噬心脾。此時此際, 弄佳餚美食像有點涼薄, 惟慶僥倖無恙, 已無語凝噎。人性光輝暗淡, 獸性散發光芒, 《人啊, 人!》《野獸, 野獸, 野獸》。

與世無爭

剛看完一本書, 隨手在書架拿了Michael Dobbs的House of Cards, 3部曲的第一部, 政治驚慓小說, 序言這樣講:

Nothing lasts, not forever. Not laughter, not lust, not even life itself. Not forever. Which is why we make the most of what we have.

活在當下, 不問世事。前些時有朋友問我對會否開戰的看法, 我是廢老一名, 又怎會懂這些,  可以看下閒書, 吃安樂茶飯, 一天又混過了。 病毒未滅, 烽煙又起, 生靈塗炭, 情何以堪!

這兩天都吃深海鱸(Deep Sea Perch)的魚柳, 這魚另一名稱是橙鱸(Orange Roughy)或Red Roughy, 一度因為過份濫捕而禁止捕捉, 幾年前才解禁。這魚出沒於澳洲及紐西蘭, 肉質口感有點像東星, 屬高質素高營養的魚, 但因為這魚是深海長壽魚, 所以含鉛較高, 孕婦及小孩不宜多吃, 廢老當然不怕。

昨天和今天分別花點心思做了兩種蒸法。I made the most of what I have. 買了超過10斤有多(6kg+)的魚柳, 分成6份, 5份分給朋友, 留1份給自己。

昨天蒸了龍鳳呈祥:

把魚柳切成方塊, 一半用意大利火腿(proscuitto)包裹, 另一半以意大利火腿墊底, 另外放些竹笙在空間裏。這裏沒有金華火腿, 否則當然用金華火腿。我這些proscuitto, 包裝說cured up to 12 months, 只醃了12個月, 香味當然不足。上星期弄了蝦蟹肉冬瓜茸, 也只有這些火腿可用, 聊勝於無。  

鋪完魚就把開邊老虎蝦鋪上去。蒸好放蔥絲淋上滾油就完成了。

今天做的是3菰麒麟魚:

魚柳整條不切斷, 斜刀切開, 把冬菰片及火腿片放進每一個切開的地方, 雞肶菰切片煑稔, 在菰片身上打橫切個開口, 塞入金菰、紅蘿蔔絲及火腿絲。蒸完放葱絲淋滾油及生抽便成。

老伴認為這個比昨天的更好吃。Nothing lasts. 狂風掃落葉, 頃刻間片甲不留。 

選舉年

選舉年, 趣事多。星期三晚澳洲國會為了討論Religious Discrimination Act而開會至通宵達旦, 傳聞有位執政黨議員沒有現身會議廳, 卻宿醉在自己的議員辦公室裏, 還失禁至浸淫了一衭子(in a pool of his own urine)。當事人否認其事, 只承認睡着了。宿醉至未能投票也有前科的, 前首相Tony Abbott就試過(當時並未非首相, 當時的首相是Kevin Rudd)。

Mor Sir最近因洩漏短訊事件已萬箭穿心, 扭轉選情劣勢的方法就是打中共牌, 本博近日已不談中國和香港任何事情, 根本也不關心, 所以連香港法庭的裁決也不評論, 這次提到中共, 是從澳洲聯邦政府執政黨選舉策略去看而已。Mor Sir為了轉移一衭子醜聞, 利用恐共國情, 誣捏反對黨獲中共垂青:

China has “decided” to back Labor at the forthcoming federal election, Defence Minister Peter Dutton told a fiery Question Time on Thursday.

Mr Dutton made the comment shortly after Prime Minister Scott Morrison launched a personal attack on Opposition leader Anthony Albanese, calling him a “sook and a snarler” and accusing him of being willing to put up with coercion from China.

”We now see evidence that the Chinese Communist Party has also made a decision about who they’re going to back in the next federal election … and that is open and obvious,” Mr Dutton said.

Peter Dutton says China has decided to back Labor at the election

雖然是誣捏, 事實上中澳關係的死結, 也只有改朝換代才可打開。至於怎樣改, 就只能各自演譯了。反對黨(工黨)一向都沒有像執政黨那樣親美, 加上工黨前首Kevin Rudd是能說流利普通話的中國通, 他可以是復修兩國關係的橋樑。雖然他當年身為首相的時候, 不慎被錄到罵過fxxking communist, 但政治就是這樣, 一時下海, 一時從良, who really cares?

Politics is a brutal business

到了選舉年, 醜聞特別多。Mor Sir 被黨友螫到滿身傷痕, 本來是黨同伐異的, 現在卻同室操戈。繼上一篇講Mor Sir被新省前省長及不知名的內閣部長形容為terrible person 及psycho, fraud等, 現在又流出副首相Barnaby Joyce在去年3月, 曾經形容Morrsion為"a hypocrite and a liar", 不是匆速的定論, 而是經年觀察的心得:

“He is a hypocrite and a liar from my observations and that is over a long time.

“I have never trusted him and I dislike how he earnestly rearranges the truth to a lie.”

這內容傳達了甚麼訊息? 這短訊發出的時候. 兩人在政壇已共事了14年, 真的屬於長時間觀察的結果。為了聯合政府的執政前途, 為了選票, Joyce立即發聲明道歉, 還說要請辭云云, 有文為證:

“While the text message was supposed to be private, what I said in that message was wrong; and I have unreservedly apologised to the Prime Minister for my comments. It is common knowledge that in the past the Prime Minister and I had not always seen eye to eye.

“But I have worked extremely closely with the Prime Minister over the last seven months since I returned to the role of Deputy Prime Minister; and the Prime Minister is a person of high integrity and honesty in what is possibly the most difficult job in the nation.”

把市民看作3歲的笨小孩, 白癡才會信這些說話。 Joyce原本的短訊才是肺俯之言, 訊息的對象是投訴在國會內被強姦的女職員, Joyce不滿Morrison的處理方法才會說他是虛偽的大話精。現在為了政府的前途才說開脫的話, Morrison被各方貶斥個人誠信(外國總統、前首相、新省前省長、現任聯邦政府的部長及副首相), 還沒有包括反對黨在內, 已可以說prima facie guilty as alleged。

Barnaby Joyce也不見得可信。這聯合政府由兩個政黨Liberal及National組成, 前者黨魁是Morrison, 後者是Joyce, 兩黨的凑合也不是很協調的。為了此事, Joyce "offered his resignation", 當然也是在演戲, 真的請辭, 就會做戲做全套"tendered his resignation", 而不是"offered"。 他這樣做戲也引起National的黨友不滿, 他們覺得要請辭也應向自己的黨請辭, 而不是向Liberal的Morrison。

抓爛了臉皮後, Morrison和Joyce又怎再共事下去呢? 別擔心, 搞政治的人自有政治EQ。今早Morrison去完崇拜後公開面對傳媒, 講了以下一番大道理:

Politics is a brutal business.

Anyone who pretends it’s not, and anybody who pretends that from time to time people don’t get angry or bitter ... if you can’t accept and understand each other’s frailties and be forgiving in those circumstances, then, frankly, that says a lot more about you than it does about others.

Human frailty. It’s real. We all share it. We all live with it. And we all need to be more understanding of it. And politicians are no different to people watching me now.

What people send around in texts, I, frankly, could not care less about. And, frankly, Australians are far more interested in their jobs and their lives than what people are sending in text messages to each other.

,,,,,,

沙士比亞出場: "Frailty, thy name is woman", 改了一個字: Frailty, thy name is human. 人總有軟弱的時候, 在Morrison眼中, 在他背後發短訊貶斥他的人就是弱者, 他不terrible, psycho及fraud, 也不是hyprocrite及liar。如果不是選舉在即, 不是民調不利, 他就不會使用這種打圓場的口吻了。他也很清楚, 兩人再共事的機會也很渺茫, 選情十分不利之外, 就算能再當選, 兩人都頗大機會被自己的黨友扯下馬來。 Politics is a brutal business.

Bor Sir與Mor Sir

Boris Johnson與Scott Morrison一時間同時落難, 成為難兄難弟。兩人的共通點是大話連篇, 誠信掃地。 疫情期間, Bor Sir在首相府開「工作」派對太多, 解釋到詞窮理屈, 圓謊乏力, 黨友也倒戈, 相位難保了。Bor Sir負擔重, 幾段婚姻, 當然要戀棧權位, 否則怎養得起幾頭家。大家都被covid搞得慘, 怎容你獨樂樂。Sue Gray (Cabinate Office Second Permanent Secretary)報告一出:

(INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED GATHERINGS ON GOVERNMENT PREMISES DURING COVID RESTRICTIONS – UPDATE)

 

直指Bor Sir領導無方, 警方已接手作刑事調查。在數碼時代, 數碼足跡難以掩飾, Sue Gray交代了怎樣調查(methodology):

We carried out interviews of over 70 individuals, some more than once, and examined relevant documentary and digital information, such as emails; Whatsapp messages; text messages; photographs and building entry and exit logs. This has also included searches of official records.

Bor Sir這一劫難逃了, 倒他的聲音越來越大, 他下台後可以繼續專心發展感情事業了。

位處南隅Down Under的Mor Sir, 近來也四面受襲, 日子也很難過。聯邦大選雖然日子未定, 無論如何也不會遲過5月。於斯時也, Mor Sir民望下跌, 在疫情下怨氣特別多, Mor Sir的瘡疤也特別多, 累積起來足以「奪命」。 Mor Sir不單止面對反對黨, 連自己友都對他也貶斥貽盡。早兩天Mor Sir在National Press Club演說, 毫無疑問他想乘機爭取民心, 可惜事與願違, 這一段新聞就看得到「狙擊手」把他殺個措手不及, 記者(van Onselen)這樣提問:

“I’ve been provided with a text message exchange between the former NSW premier and a current Liberal cabinet minister. I’ve got them right here. In one, she describes you as ‘a horrible, horrible person’, going on to say she did not trust you and you’re more concerned with politics than people,” van Onselen told the Prime Minister. “The minister is even more scathing, describing you as a ‘fraud’ and ‘a complete psycho’. Does this exchange surprise you? And what do you think that it tells us?”

Mor Sir表情十分尷尬地回應, 說甚麼也沒用, damage is done。繼法國總統在潛艦事件指責他說謊後, 他再一次被公開指為騙子。雖然搞政治的人難免不行騙, 出自自己友的口未免太難堪了。不是對手球技好贏你, 是你自己出錯, unforced errors太多, 打敗自己。

這農曆元旦, 可見證這兩人完蛋了。