Friday 31 December 2004

Pic of the day: It's that time again! Time for New Year's resolutions! You know, re-solutions, same solutions as last year. ^_^* (Screenshot from the anime Mamotte Shugogetten.)

Subdued, eh?

I understand that several other nations are in the same position, regarding the recent tsunami disaster. Some of the areas that were hit were tourist resorts. My native Norway is missing more than 400 people who were in the disaster zone for sure, and there is little hope that they can have survived. Even if they had survived the wave, humans can only live so long apart from civilization. Especially tourists. So, yes, it is probably the greatest single disaster to hit our nation in peacetime, even if it is so far away.

So the Prime Minister and the Bishop of the capital city (as well as lesser officials of state and church) look very serious and say that we stand together in the sorrow and the loss, and they call for a subdued New Year celebration. Various high ranking members of society go so far as to say that people should give the money to charities instead of rockets for New Year's Eve.

But let us look at it again. Norway is a sparsely populated country, with about 4.6 million people, a little more than 4 million "ethnic Norwegians" (usually meaning they're pale and most of their ancestors have lived around here since shortly after the ice age). Which means that around 1 in 10000 perished in the disaster. Obviously, most people don't have 10000 friends and close relatives. By some stretch of the imagination, we could believe these people were so well connected, there are 100 who would know them personally as a friend or close relative. That would make 1% of the population. But now we know for a fact that many of these people were families, typically 3-4 people, and so they share relatives and probably many of their friends as well. So a more realistic number would be ½%, one out of 200, who is personally touched by the catastrophe in some way. The other 199 out of 200 are only "subdued" because it is the proper thing.

Well, propriety is an element easily soluble in alcohol. And besides, the people on TV cannot stare at us when we turn the TV off. So, I'd say "0.5% subdued" is pretty close to my impression of this New Year's celebration.

***

My New Year's resolution is the same as usual: To not wait with my resolutions till New Year's. If I need to change, I will begin to change right away! Step by step. Even if I were to live for a hundred years, the time would be too short to wait for myself. I will wait for others when need be. But not for myself. And not for days declared "special" by emperors and popes long dead.