Commentary on relocating after the tsunami, getting the Churchill picture, Sarkozy and Merkel at play, and the outlook for 2012.

A Japanese village is reluctant to move to higher ground. Thanks to Jeremy of Tokyo.

New York Times -- In Tsunami Aftermath, ‘Road to Future’ Unsettles a Village
Freshly carved out of the side of a hill, with layers of rock still exposed along some of its stretches and trees lying nearby, the construction project that was supposed to help this fishing village relocate and rebuild after the earthquake and tsunami in March was optimistically named the Road to the Future.

The most famous picture of Winston Churchill was taken in Ottawa after drinks with Prime Minister Mackenzie King. Thanks to Simon of Victoria.

Ottawa Citizen -- After the speech
(Ottawa 30 December1941) A young photographer plucked the ubiquitous cigar from Winston Churchill's mouth, earning a scowl, and made history with the famous image of the wartime British PM. Chris Cobb explains.

Funny in any language.

Telegraph -- Nicolas Sarkozy becomes Angela Merkel's tipsy butler in YouTube satire
Germany's cult New Year's Eve show 'Dinner For One' – where an increasingly drunken waiter tries to keep up with the demands of his eccentric mistress – has been reworked to feature German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy as her servant.

2012 outlook for financial markets: yikes! Thanks to David of Victoria.

Pdf below -- 2012 The Year of Crisis

The road ahead, kinda.

Telegraph -- Sandi Toksvig wonders what's ahead in 2012
What does 2012 have in store? Armageddon, spiritual transformation and, for me, sudden marriage apparently...