(I’m posting this on behalf of my friend. Please donate if you can.)

Dear Friends and Family,

As most of you know, I spent over four years in Pakistan and am married to a Pakistani. As such, I have many friends and family in that part of the world, as well as a genuine place in my heart for the tumultuous country. In the two years that I have been back in Canada, it seems that Pakistan has been bouncing from one crisis to the next, but all recent troubles pale in comparison to the catastrophe of the monsoon flooding. As I’m sure you know, the floods in Pakistan have inundated one fifth of the country and displaced 20 million people.

To put things in a Canadian perspective, Pakistan itself is only slightly larger than Alberta and yet currently supports a population of over 180 million. At this moment, an area larger than all three Maritime provinces combined is under water. If you can imagine an inundated area the size of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI inside Alberta, perhaps you can appreciate the scale of this disaster. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs the number of people affected is higher than the Haiti earthquake, the Indian Ocean tsunami and Kashmir earthquake combined. This country needs your help.

Until September 12th, the Canadian government has pledged to match any funds donated to Canadian registered charities on behalf of Pakistan flood relief. Please help to take advantage of this generous offer. Here is a list of registered charities that are doing their part.

http://www.canadahelps.org/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=56

I have first hand accounts of good work on the ground being done by Global Medic and the Canadian Red Cross, but please research whichever group appeals to you. There really is no donation too small (or too large for that matter), as the repercussions of this crisis will be far-reaching. Already the cases of water-borne disease are on the rise (which is why Nadya and I have started by donating to Global Medic) and it is estimated that due to the loss of agricultural land, food prices will soon skyrocket, adding to the suffering.

You know that I’m not usually the type of person to make a request like this, but please try to make a donation if you possibly can. And please feel free to forward this to your friends and coworkers.

Thanks and much love,

David

Here’s another plain ‘ol car review, this time for the exceedingly good Ford Fiesta.

I know I’ve been presenting Top Gear as a goofy show about cars. That isn’t always the case.

Here is a proper, thorough review of the Renault Twingo 133

The 3rd host is Jeremy “Jezza” Clarkson who is the host who draws the most fire an controversy (see him calling UK PM Gordon Brown a one-eyed Scottish idiot).

Despite bagging on America/Americans constantly, he is clearly a closet American. Fat, boorish, gun-loving, opinionated, never wrong*…but the man knows his cars and loves powerrrrr.

*Obviously, I’m joking/exaggerating to play up the US stereotype. I have shed loads of US friends who are nothing like this.

The 2nd member of the triumvirate is James May, aka Captain Slow.

James is presented as being kind of doddering, slow, frumpy, old-fashioned and not power-mad like his compatriots.

He likes a sensible car, despite being the owner of a new Ferrari.

Meeting Chicks

Captain Not-so-slow