Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Brazilian Greetings

Richard Lengsfeld, founder and director of B.I.T. (Brazilian Incentive & Tourism), based in Rio de Janeiro, sent me the Season’s greetings that left the most lasting impression on me. Just read his message, and you’ll know what I’m talking about:

Christmas in Rio

If you look at the world as a village with 100 inhabitants…

57 were Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 Americans and 8 Africans
70 were colored, 30 were white
70 were not Christians
89 were heterosexuals, 11 Homosexuals
6 people had 59% of all the wealth of this world
50 would depend from another person
1 would be dying
2 would be born
1 had a PC
1 had a Diploma

So, if you woke up healthy this morning, you are in a better situation than 1 million people that will die the next days.
If you never suffered of war and hunger, you are in a better situation than 500 million people today.
If you can go to a place to worship your religion without being stopped or risk to be killed for that, you are happier than 300 million people.
If you have food in the fridge, a roof over your head and you are dressed, you are better off than 75% of the population
If you have a Bank Account and some spare money on it, you are part of 8% of the rich.
If you can read these lines you are part of the happy few because
1. Somebody thinks about you
2. You are not part of the 1 billion people that cannot read
3. And… you have a PC!

There is no imminent conclusion in these lines, but maybe the guy is right who once said:
Work – as if you wouldn’t need the money
Dance – as if nobody was watching you
Sing – as if nobody was hearing you
Love – as if nobody ever hurt youLive – like in paradise

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Hypersonic Santa

As a child, people made me believe that St Nicholas and Black Peter came from warm Spain. I stopped believing that a long time age because I’ve never seen St Nicholas walk around in shorts. Now someone is trying to trick me into believing the Saint’s residence lies in Lapland. That sounds better. But I’m mistaken, that should be Santa Claus because his official address is in Rovaniemi (Santa Claus Village). And now the Stockholm based consultancy bureau Sweco sent me a message about a hypersonic Santa Claus. A serious study shows that Santa has to travel at 5800 km/sec to deliver all presents around the world on time - which is within 48 hours. If he starts in Kirghizistan in Central Asia in opposite direction of the earth’s rotation, he has 34 microseconds for each visit. Come on, who still believes in Santa Claus? At that speed no one could be able to see him! That's why we only have a picture of him after his crash...