Time To Shout

I just want all of you to know that I have taken two of my silent "activisms" into open practice. I hereby announce my open boycott of anything produced by a large Japanese company or anything attached to the uterus of their government.

If it's Japanese, I'm not buying it. (Thank goodness I'm not into animē.)

This shall be my protest until the Japanese Government and the Chrysanthemum Throne confirm their errors to the world and make up for them. (I shall give no history lecture; all of you should know very well of their unresolved atrocities.) Perhaps if we stop feeding their corporations with our hard-earned money, they could have some real Nihonjin humility and finally apologise?

Idealistic? Certainly. Impossible? Close. Pointless? Maybe. But this is my stand. 'Tis not a case of an unforgiving heart. Should they seek forgiveness, I can bestow it. But no one from their party has ever sought it...sincerely.

I would hate to forget about eating at Japanese restaurants, but I must do this. I want to think Bushidō, Kokoro, and The Last Samurai. But alas, I cannot forget that period in history when they raped half of the globe when they promised to liberate it.

I am not calling for hate. I am calling for resolution. They should compensate. (No, cars and porn will not do.)

--
On a similar level, I have also stopped patronising anything that devotes itself to globalist consumerism, its poster boy being McDonald's. If your company is told that your practices harm the environment; that your company inflicts suffering on animals, feeds unhealthy substances to unsuspecting children, and serves fries containing meat though they were claimed to be vegetarian - you should listen, stop, and do something. Unless one is deaf to morality or is solely interested in profit. (I suspect both for they have been repeatedly told to little effect.)

Sweet + Impossible

Got these links from my friend keanoidd. It would be needlessly cruel not to share them.

First one is something that I think is undeniably full of love (you're supposed to click it). I am no fan of the music played but I cannot help but smile and admire the beautiful couple.

Second one is something that did not stop me from laughing. In keanoidd's words: Like Super Mario, only impossible. (Darn right!)

Thank Weirdness

[Aldrin talking about the country and degenerating civilisation.]

Some shmuck: "Ayan ka nanaman Aldrin. Ang weird mo talaga." (There you are again, Aldrin. You are so weird.)

[Aldrin with his ears a bit red but still very British.]

"I've come to terms with my being weird. At least I'm not like everybody else. Who would want to be so ordinary?"

Nonetheless, I can't seem to figure out what was so weird with talking about civilisation!

Grey-eyed God, wise one and warrior, artisan and philosopher, help us to cultivate wisdom, reason, and purity. Remind us that ignorance is inexcusable and a stagnant mind is an abomination. Remind us to learn new things whenever possible and to never fear new knowledge. And to philosophise, yes that is good. We would rather die as wrinkled wise men rather than beautiful idiots. Khaire Athene.

Hellboy meets Tolkien meets Warcraft

I had a view of this and hell does it look promising. At least in my taste.

You should see the elves. They look a bit like Haldir clones but with extra darkness. Works for me.

It's not Nazis, machines and mad scientists but the old gods and characters who have been kind of shoved out of our world. I kind of equate it to the whole American Indian situation. The Indians were shoved onto reservations. You had your old, wise Indians who said, "You know, this is the way it is. We can't fight anymore. We just have to accept our fate." You then have your Geronimo character saying, "Or we could just kill the White Man." That's kind of the situation we have in the film. We have our elf characters resigning to the way things are and then there's one saying, "Or we could take the world back." The main difference is - what if the Indians had a nuclear warhead? The elves have their equivalent of the weapon that is too terrible to use. What if this guy decided to use it?

Ommmmmmm

I haven't finished my resolutions. Inspiration drives me to pray instead. (Some lines inspired from various poetry by Hearthstone, Ceisiwr Serith, Sannion, and Brynhyld.)

Hail to you day, hail to you day's sons; hail to you night and daughters of night. I look to you with glad eyes, may you be witness to my prayers.

I pray to the wide and all-seeing heavens who look over the earth and her children; whose anger is the storm and whose mercy is the rain. To the ancient one before us all, may you secure our people and our property; keep us safe from typhoon, meteor shower, and cancer-causing UV. We know you are unbiased but you are also merciful. I've always campaigned against smoke-belchers; I have never burnt plastic nor patronised chlorofluorocarbons. For another year, old father, protect us. So that we may give you praise forever and look upon your sapphire-painted face with smiles.

I pray to the broad and all-feeding earth who is both gentle and terrible; whose anger is the quake and whose mercy is the richness of soil. To the mother of all that grows; on whom we walk, from whom we come, across whom we go on our life-long journey. May your compassion never tire to forgive us when we wrong you; may you preserve our existence and our happiness as we feed from your all-nourishing bosom. For another year, oldest of mothers, sustain us.

I pray to the all-reaching waters who are both under and above us; in deep crevices under your sister earth and above her the mighty seas. From you all life has sprung and continues to thrive. Continue to provide us with water to drink and blood in our veins to exist. We know you are slow to anger; may our lives be so lucky to never see you in fury. For another year, live with us, live in us.

For another year, may we remember that by loving you we are loving ourselves. Your current state of being is our survival. Oh eldest of gods, hear us another year.

Firsts

New Year's resolutions can sometimes be over-rated. People should inspire themselves to change for the better whenever need calls for it. But we must admit that new beginnings have their effect. It still makes sense to make them [annual resolutions]. I believe in the cosmic significance of rituals.

Like Sannion, I promise to:

1. To refrain from saying witty, unkind things, unless they are really witty and irreparably damaging.
2. To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.

[From James Agate, London Sunday Times drama critic from 1923 to 1947.]

I greet you all a joyous, bountiful, and safe new year!

two thousand and eight | MMVIII | 2008