农历新年

[penfield]

"To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness."
- Confucius

Yesterday was apparently the Chinese New Year, ushering in the Year of the Rat, which explains why Brian McNamee has been all over the news lately.

Traditionally, on the second day of the Chinese New Year, married daughters are supposed to visit their birth parents. They are also extra kind to dogs and feed them well, as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs. So is that why the Westminster Kennel Club holds its big fancy dog show in the second week of February, or is it just because it's a sweeps-month ratings bonanza? (My money this year is on the English Cocker.)

Anyway, in accordance with the cosmopolitan melding of cultures practiced here in my enchanted pants, here are my Chinese New Year's Resolutions:

• Boycott Beijing Olympics, including watching olympics, talking about olympics, hearing about olympics, accidentally lingering on olympics while flipping past it on TV, and basically giving a flying crap about olympics
  
• Regularly finish my supper, since apparently there are children starving in China and this will help them out somehow.
  
• Learn Karate, or at least find some nice cloth belts
  
• Voice willingness to help get Margaret Cho into some kind of rehab
  
• Support global human rights by boycotting Chinese products, unless they improve my life in some way, which ought to balance things out a bit.
  
• Less Top Ramen, More Ramen Maruchen (that'll teach Top Ramen to act so high and mighty.)
  
• Shave head, in solidarity with oppressed monks