Another year bites the dust...

So here it is merry christmas every buddy's having fun.. well not actually every buddy. There are several millions across the planet who are not having much fun, to say the least and it seems that, because so much is linked to cultural ways of thinking it is extremely difficult to work out how to improve situations. Or on a worldwide scale is it just another winter's tale? The tale, that is, of so called leaders of various countries who are so focused on power and control and don't really give a monkeys what is actually happening to their citizens. Terrified children not knowing what the hell is happening in Gazza, people dying of cholera in Zimbabwe and kids being taught how to be a martyr in Afghanistan and other parts of the globe. We really are the lucky ones, living in a country where we are being told to spend our way out of recession so we'll all survive, or we lose our job because another high street chain lost its way. We can still hopefully walk to the job centre without being blown up and drink the water straight out of a tap. We can still sleep at night without fear of a rocket attack and take issue with Sainsbury's or Tesco's when they have the audacity to run out of some commodity we 'need'. Good on Annie Lennox for voicing a non partisan plea for a cease fire and negotiation and supporting the peace protesters today... Also good on the shopkeeper in Settle who was brave and trusting enough to leave his shop open with a box for the money so everyone could help themselves, so he could have a day off. Everyone did pay up which really does restore your faith in humankind. 

So another year bites the dust and 2009 is upon us. We can only hope that some of the conflict can be resolved and some sort of sanity can replace despair regardless of race or creed. My only resolution is to acknowledge every instance I see of good overcoming evil and try to see the positive side to any situation. To my family, friends, aquaintences and yourself reading this I wish you happy, safe and prosperous 2009......