CHRISTMAS QUOTE

But in 1992 I was made to realise that I got it all wrong with Christmas.

That year, a friend of mine showed me a photograph he took in December 1991 when he and his wife, both journalists, were on their way to cover the massacre of civilians by Serb paramilitaries in a small village in Croatia, where genocide was being carried out in full force by the Serbs against Croats.

The photograph was of a little boy and his grandfather, both in worn-out winter clothes, walking down a hilly road blanketed with snow. The grandfather’s face was wrinkled and his body crooked, with one leg appearing shorter than the other – due perhaps to injury. The grandfather was lugging the sorriest-looking Christmas tree on his shoulder, while the boy by his side had the happiest beaming smile on his little round face. It was a picture of misery and hardship alongside pure joy.

It was then that I was able to grasp the spirit of Christmas and what it really means.

It is a time that symbolises the indomitable human spirit; hope despite despair; a ray of light that shines into the darkest corners ravaged by the atrocities of war and conflict; the good will, friendship and brotherhood in mankind despite the most terrible things we are capable of doing to each other.

- The Nation (Thailand)

A QUICK NOTE TO TAIWAN

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From: sngk

To: Taiwan Tourism Board

Date: 22 December 2008

————

Dear Taiwan Tourism Board,

Please stop buying TV airtime for this ad:

It is so annoying to the point where I actually want to stop watching my BBC channel (and TV altogether) to avoid hearing your tortuous slogan sung by a terrible singer.  I’ve never visited Taiwan, and I’ve been somewhat intrigued about visiting someday, but this commercial is gradually convincing me to suggest otherwise.

Just my two cents,

-sngk

CLARITY

Has Honda created the car of the future?

Now I’ve read about the FCX Clarity briefly, but this rather enlightening Top Gear review asks:

Can Honda save the world?

MY BRAIN

I am so tired right now, and I feel like my brain is mush.

If you could visualize what I was thinking right now, it’d probably look like this:

DURRRRR

CORPORATE LOGO PARODIES

I found the logos pretty funny, so check them out if you have time.

Here’s an example:

For the rest, click here.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to the Mouse!  No, not that mouse.

This mouse:

FINANCIAL CRISIS QUOTE

The “core of the international financial crisis is that we have global financial markets and no global rule of law”.

- Jacques Attali, adviser to French President Nicolas Sarkozy

HAPPY BUNCHIES

Happy Holidays.

PLEASE

Never let this happen.

Let your inner child out every once in a while.

Disclaimer:  This is not a real Bill Watterson Calvin and Hobbes strip.

I’M NOT DEAD

I’ve been busy training this mouse for the Olympics.

Just kidding.  It’s been somewhat hard to blog consistently as of late.  Aside from the usual gloomy and seemingly apocalyptic doomsday news that’s being reported on a daily basis, I don’t have anything new to note here.  Nevertheless, Christmas is coming up soon.  I’m somewhat jubilant and trying to get into the Christmas spirit because, well, during these times being cheerful is a big help.  It’s sad, really.  But I hope everyone is in good spirits as well.  I’ll enjoy the nice things about late fall/early winter: feelings of coziness, hot chocolate, bundling up (layering as my generation calls it nowadays), soups, hearty (but healthy?) food, gift giving and feelings of nostalgia and joy.  I hope you do too.