Sunday, December 31, 2017

Not The Same Old Lang Syne

It is New Year’s Eve, another year passed, even quicker than the year before. And what a year it was…for good, bad and indifferent. We said good-bye to far too many in the past year, Tom Petty, Roger Ailes, Chuck Berry, and Mary Tyler Moore among them. It was a stormy year here in The States, meteorologically and politically speaking.
The media lost its collective mind to Trump Derangement Syndrome in 2017, at separate times claiming that the president: was deliberately over-feeding foreign fish, was almost impeach-ably rude for taking a sip of water whilst on camera, and, drinks far too many sodas daily. (The latter temporarily pre-empted CNN’s coverage of the New York City terror attack that disrupted rush-hour traffic and injured four people). Interestingly, Trump finishes the year with a 46% approval rating, virtually identical to former President Obama’s approval rating at the end of his first year in office. Yet, the media claims Trump is hated. That’s odd, as I don’t recall them saying anything like that about Obama.
As I write this, nearly all of the continental United States is in the iron grip of a record-breaking, and lengthy, cold spell. Waterfalls have frozen completely. So have fountains. A dog was found frozen solid on a front porch. Incredibly, some parts of the U.S. are currently colder than the surface of Mars. Parts of Mars were at a relatively balmy -10 degrees Fahrenheit recently, while temperatures fell to as low as 35 degrees below zero in the northern U.S. If it gets much colder molecular motion will cease. (But probably not the impassioned cries of leftists denouncing the U.S. for not doing enough to fight global warming).
The past year has seen the people continue in their attempt to reclaim power from their rulers. Brexit and the election of Donald Trump were not outliers, they were precursors to many Europeans realizing that things cannot continue as they are if there is to be a Europe…or many Europeans.
And now, just in the past couple of days, we see Iranians protesting in the street, risking arrest, beating, and death.  Iranians have a history of secular and civil society. They deserve to regain their freedom. The last time they tried to do so, they were tragically ignored and forsaken by then President Obama. President Trump will not ignore or forsake them.
Here’s hoping the United States can eventually shed the cold, and that the Iranian people can shed their dictatorship. May they both emerge into a brightly lit future.
As for all the rest of you, reading this around the world: I hope 2018 brings you good health and good spirits. May your most cherished dreams come true.


Happy New Year! 

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