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SCMP Reporter

It's a tough job, picking number crunchers for your company.

So many qualifications out there. So many experienced people.

But sometimes things just click. Or rhyme.

Take Tom.com. It has just hired Tommei Tong.

Yes, that is Tommei Tong at Tom.com, not Tom.mei.tong at Tom.com.

She replaces Don Lee as chief financial officer.

No, not Don.com at Tom.com.

Tommei has over 16 years of experience in accounting and financial management so she obviously has a sense of humour.

It may come in handy.

TODAY IS THE DAY

Today has unofficially been renamed Li Day.

It is a veritable results bonanza. Seven major blue chips and many a Li among them.

PCCW, Hutchison Whampoa, Cheung Kong, New World, Bank of China, Henderson Land and Henderson Investments.

Because we can't see that this is a particularly auspicious day.

For starters, the Saddam Hussein pack-up-in-48-hours ultimatum is up.

And according to the Chinese Farmer's Almanac, it's not the best of days for business trading.

Nor is it good for travel, breaking ground, praying for good luck, a baby's haircut or moving a bed.

It is relatively good luck if you're thinking of tearing down a building.

Then again, PCCW is expected to report a loss. The consensus on Hutchison is for profit to drop by up to 10 per cent. The rest are a mix of good and moderate expectations.

Perhaps they just all wanted more of an Oscars-style hype about the occasion.

And the less fortuitous ones are hoping we'll be too busy watching what the others are wearing to notice.

FRONT-LINE FOGEY

TVB's man on the front line treated Hong Kong viewers to an exclusive report from a living room the other night.

Raymond R Wong, the 'godfather of journalism', had tracked down a Chinese couple in Kuwait City.

The reporter - recently panned for his cringeworthy stunts and style - gave us a hard-hitting account of the family's plight.

Well, the wife was leaving and hubby was staying. All fine in a human interest kind of way. But Mr Wong's descriptive style was another thing altogether.

He described the pregnant woman as being 'with child'. A bit prehistoric, but we could let that one pass.

But Mr Wong also informed viewers that the woman wanted to 'stand by her man'.

And tell the world she loves him?

If he was the 'grandfather of journalism' we could forgive him.

IMAGINE THAT

There is nothing like the prospect of war to appeal to our softer side.

Case in point: a floral e-mail that would shame Laura Ashley.

It tells you 'Love is the Answer'. You are then urged to ask your local radio station to play John Lennon's Imagine  at midday each day 'so that we can all practice the essence of this beautiful song'.

'Otherwise just sing it in your brain or your own beautiful voice for the world to hear. I am certain its vibration will spread across the globe and change lives.'

For those of you who don't have a softer side, give spam a chance and clog his outbox.

GIRL TROUBLE

Poor old George W. Bush. American late night satirists have been having a field day with their president of late.

So we chose to highlight a few of their comments about George W's daughters, instead:

'President Bush's daughter was cited for underage drinking. That's too bad, when you see something like that happen. She was apparently slurring words, couldn't remember the alphabet. Oh, wait a minute. That's her father.' David Letterman.

'Bush is now in Genoa, Italy. When he arrived today he was met by protesters throwing bottles and cans. In fact, he was surrounded by so many empties, he got homesick for the girls.' Jay Leno.



After 16 years, it's Tommei's time to rhyme