A New Year Address to the Nation by Vladimir Putin

The following is a New Years greeting from Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation

Dear fellow citizens of Russia, Dear friends,

Today I would like to say something special to you. As we see off the outgoing year, I want to sincerely thank you for everything that we have done together with you during the past eight years.

All that we have managed to achieve would have been simply impossible without your steadfast support, without your trust, without your direct participation in the revival of our country.

We have not only restored the territorial integrity of Russia. But once again we are able to feel we are a united people. And all these years we worked together to preserve our country, to transform it into a modern, free, strong state able to provide its citizens with a convenient and comfortable life.

We have seen how, from year to year, Russia has been gaining in strength and becoming stronger. How our economy has been growing. How new opportunities have been opening up for the people.

To be sure, we have not managed to do everything. But I am quite certain that the road the people have chosen for Russia is the right road and that it will lead us to success. We have everything to achieve our goal – our great history, colossal resources, courage, industriousness and intellectual potential of our great nation.

Dear friends,

In a few minutes, we shall usher in the New Year. This is a holiday filled with love for our dear ones, with the warmth of our homes. A holiday of hope and belief that everything will turn out the way we want it to turn out. That our life will become better. That our children will be happy. That our elderly people will be healthy and safe. That our country will become stronger and blossom.

So let us wish each other new achievements. And, of course, we shall raise our glasses to the health and happiness of our near and dear, to those whom we value and cherish more than anything else in the world. To whom we give the warmth of our hearts and with whom we want to be together.

So may your most cherished dreams come true! Be happy, dear friends!

I wish you all the best for the New Year!

In Memoriam: Devereaux Cannon‏

This evening, I was notified about the death of Tennessee based vexillologist Devereaux Cannon‏. His death is a blow to me and others who devote our time and passion into the study of vexillology (flag studies). I have emailed him several times and bought his book on Tennessee flags, a subject which he had a lot of passion for. He devoted his time to study flags of the American Civil War, which lead to more books being published about his hobby. His full list of books, as listed from his personal website, include the following:

The Flags of the Confederacy: An Illustrated History (1988)
Flags of Tennessee (1990)
The Flags of the Union: An Illustrated History (1994)
The Wit and Wisdom of Robert E. Lee (1997)

He was also the founder of the Confederate States Vexillological Association, an association that deals with flags from the Confederate States of the American Civil War. I will personally miss his wisdom, his Southern charm and his devotion. I extend my sincere condolences to his wife Nora, and to his family.

2007 Review

As I promised, here is my 2008 New Years plan and 2007 review.

2007 was a year, I would like to say, that is full of triumphs. First of all, my dad came back safe and sound from that hell hole known as Iraq. While he still suffers medically and mentally from this ordeal, having him here puts my mind at ease. I also achieved my associates degree, which was one of my goals I set over a year ago. The other goals I stated at the January 02, 2007 blogpost has been achieved. While the name and the faces changed over the course of the year, I been in a relationship for a good portion of it. This proves to me that nerds can still express their love, even though writing poems that start out with Roses are #ff0000. I also have a cash-flow going right now, working as a grunt in Pizza Hut. I am not tired of pizza (yet), I just wish I get some more time in the store and perhaps a pay raise. I also plan on doing stuff for the county for the elections, so I will earn cash that way too.

As for what I want to do in 2008, my goal is to go to Japan and eventually leave Palomar College. No idea on what four year school I am going to, but my top three choices are Cal State San Marcos, East Carolina and UNC-Chapel Hill. I also hope to move out and live with a roommate, so I can start being my own person to a degree. There are many unknowns, just like in 2007, but hopefully, things will start to go in my way and I can continue the path that I am on right now. Hurrah.

President Alexander Lukashenko Congratulates Japanese Emperor Akihito

A little bit of Wikipedia business:

Alexander Lukashenko congratulates Emperor of Japan Akihito on Japan’s national holiday 23.12.2007

The Head of State, Alexander Lukashenko, has congratulated Emperor of Japan Akihito on Japan’s national holiday – Emperor’s Birthday.

In his message of congratulations, the President of Belarus expresses the conviction that the friendly relations that have been established between Belarus and Japan will continue their fruitful development for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries.

I work on the Belarusian Wikiproject on Wikipedia and I am in close contact with the Japanese Wikiproject on the same site. A little bit of goodwill between two "nations" won't hurt, won't it?

Christmas loots

As for my Christmas loots, here is what I got:

*Cash (won't say how much, so I don't get robbed)
*A CD full of recordings of Kimi ga yo, the national anthem of Japan.
*Glenn Beck's book (great read, btw)
*Candy
*Ornaments
*8GB flash drive
*A Soviet banner from my lovely girlfriend
*Haruhi Suzumiya DVD 4
*Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup banner

While it doesn't sound like much, I got everything I wanted. Plus, it is kind of hard to pay for an overseas trip with trinkets and other stuff.

Well, today is the night before Christmas. While I am not sure everyone is doing, but it is bright and sunny in San Diego. I never really experienced snow much, so any dreams of "White Christmas" are as distant as my family members are. However, I am grateful my father will be home this year for Christmas. Last year, he was in Iraq sitting at a desk. Too many of our soldiers will also spend the holiday away from their families too, which saddens me. However, there is a bright side to be looked at. Here is what I accomplished this year:

1. I have a girlfriend (might have changed names and faces, but that is one constant fact)
2. I have a degree now
3. Leveled somewhat in the Wiki*edia food chain
4. I got a job

Once the strains of the Christmas music ends, once Putin gives his speech, and the strains of The Star Spangled Banner and Гимн Российской Федерации are finished, I will give a summary of what was good about 2007 and what to seek out in 2008. Hurrah.

Finals are done, I pretty much I did well on them. I will wait and see how the grades are by the time next week rolls around. So, back to flag drawing and some other past business that I had to shelve a bit during the semester.

Well, finals is about to begin, but I already have a pack of course to take next time around. They will be mostly Japanese language based, so I hope those will come in handy.