Hey guys,
I don't want to spoil the mood and be a downer but I'd like to remind everyone to be very careful not to drive after drinking alcohol, and also not to ride as a passenger with an intoxicated driver. Please don't trust a person's reassurances that they are not drunk if they have indeed been drinking... and know that you are being a good friend if you stand in the way of a friend who has been drinking getting behind the wheel.
I raise this issue because we're in a season when those who do drink tend to indulge, and also because a local court case recently came to my attention which involved an otherwise law abiding Filipino-Australian family man who had gotten behind the wheel of his car after too many drinks at a family celebration and though the driver was not physically injured in the ensuing accident he now faces very serious criminal charges and will no doubt carry a heavy burden of guilt for the rest of his life.
I hope nobody minds me putting this reminder here. I don't imagine that there are a whole bunch of heavy drinkers frequenting this forum but sometimes in the festive season you can end up in a position to be the passenger in a vehicle driven by a friend or a friend of a friend who has been celebrating... so please take care.
Enjoy the festive seasons, enjoy the company of your family and loved ones, and please take good care of each other.