By now, many would have seen a meme of Alan Alda as Captain Benjamin Franklin ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce from the beloved television series M*A*S*H.
The meme has Hawkeye arguing that war is worse than hell, as the former killed and maimed innocent bystanders, while only sinners are in the latter.
Here’s the clip of that scene.
It is a timely reminder that no matter who is right, war affects many innocent people.
For the benefit of our younger readers, M*A*S*H is about a United States Army Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M*A*S*H) unit during the Korean War.
It was on air from 1972 to 1983 – longer than the Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953.
While a comedy, it had many poignant moments as it touched on the cruelty of war and how it affected ordinary folks.
If you have not watched any of the episodes, Astro’s Hits Channel has reruns of the series. Do try and catch it.
Of course, being an American show, it tended to be biased towards that country’s policies and thinking. But the underlying messages it had about war is worth listening to.
That is something we should think about with the ongoing conflict in Europe between Russia and Ukraine.
Without picking sides and starting an online ‘war’ as had happened to several of my friends, I believe we can all agree that war is the last thing anyone wants.
Especially with nuclear weapons an option – although no sane person would likely sanction its use … I hope.
So, while we are waging our war against Covid-19, let us hope that there can be a peaceful resolution in Europe before more innocent lives are lost.
RISING DEATHS ARE A CONCERN
There were 515 deaths in the past week, including 115 on Wednesday. That marked the first time since Oct 12, 2021, that we had more than 100 fatalities in a day (103).
Last week’s total was only 315 fatalities. To date, 33,106 people have died from Covid-19.
The number of new cases dropped slightly to 193,895 from 201,848 a week ago. In total, there are 3,561,766 infections. Malaysia passed the 3.5 million mark on Thursday.
We also experienced a new daily high of 33,209 infections on Friday.
The good news is that recoveries shot up to 182,800. That includes a record 30,624 on Monday. As of Friday, 3,223,650 people have beaten the coronavirus.
Worldwide, there are 443.7 million cases, and 6.01 million fatalities.
GOING BATTY
Another Batman movie is out. In conjunction with it, here is a neat way to write your name as used in the movie.
PERFECT SCRAMBLED EGGS
If you love scrambled eggs, here is a quick and easy recipe.
RIDING INTO HISTORY
The 1st Malaysia Youth Polo Tournament will enter the Malaysian Book of Records (MBR) as the first youth polo tournament in the country.
Tournament director Peter Abisheganaden said MBR’s audit committee confirmed the news. A signing ceremony to acknowledge the feat will be held during tomorrow’s prize-giving ceremony.
Selangor Polo Club president and tournament patron Tengku Baderul Zaman Sultan Mahmud donated the winners’ trophy.
The tournament also aims to raise money and awareness for the Tiger Conservation Fund of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
IF YOU WERE A WOMAN (AND I WAS A MAN)
An interesting song choice for this week. Here is Bonnie Tyler with If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man), released in 1986.
Listen carefully, and the tune may seem oddly familiar.
That is because Desmond Child, who helped write the song for Tyler, was not satisfied with its success.
A few months later, Child joined forces with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. They rewrote the tune, and it reached No. 1 on the charts. The name of that song? You Give Love A Bad Name.
Until next week, stay safe.
