Twas the Night Before New Years

As a direct result of my age, the year has flown by.  There were a number of highlights to reflect upon, the biggest of which was a college graduation, but all the boys were in school and that is a good thing.  We had a trip to two less visited continents (for us)--Africa and Asia, and I very much hope that 2015 holds more travel to places that are new and fun.

The overall situation in the world at the end of 2014 is somewhat tenuous.  The Republicans rule Congress in the United States, so there is very little chance of movement on issues like climate change, race relations, health care reform,  or modernizing the infrastructure of the country, to name a few of the critical issues that we would be advised to make progress on over the next two years if we want to remain on the cutting edge.  There are rumblings of war about.  The hoodlums who fight under what they call a caliphate in the Middle East but who have very little in the way of a religious community about them are terrorizing a war torn region, the solution in Syria is nowhere near, nor is a resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict (which I heard someone say about that, "The Hundred Year War ended, this will too."), Russia is encroaching on it's neighbors territory and so much more.  I read an op/ed piece by Paul Krugman that I wish everyone with dictatorship in their heart would read before mounting an armed response.  His bottom line is that war in unprofitable in the 21st century, and it has been for quite some time.  I would love to be here writing a year from now and have something positive to say about the progress towards peace on earth, good will toward men.