Happy New Year!
Here's to a better life this coming year.  When I was in college I took a course on German literature from the turn of the century (19th to 20th century).  In the course we discussed how the literature for the ten years leading up to and the ten year following was pessimistic and dark.  Evidently this was a pattern that had developed over the centuries.  While a century is a man-made marking of time, people still think of it as significant.  Anyhow, now that we are ending the turn of the century, I am hoping that things will start looking better in all aspects--the economy, the job market, the wars in all parts of the world.  Maybe if enough people believe things will get better, it will happen.

For some reason the lyrics to an old ABBA song always come to mind--maybe because it is called "Happy New Year".  Honestly, it seems to be a little depressing, so I am going to share the refrain, which is not as depressing.

Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have a vision now and then
Of a world where every neighbour is a friend
Happy new year
Happy new year
May we all have our hopes, our will to try
If we don't we might as well lay down and die
You and I