It's been a tough year. Of course it was also the year of the still-breathtaking Obama victory, which balances out a lot, even as the man himself begins to show feet of clay. Does the change of calendar really mean anything? Will my life, your life, the life of the world really be able to turn away from our troubles and go forward tomorrow morning into better things because, here in the West, we say the year is different?

I don't know.

But that's better than knowing they won't.

So my wish for you guys is: enjoy whatever celebration you're having (I'm going to a party at a good friend's place, with a terrace to watch the midnight fireworks from), stay safe, and wake up in the new year with new and profound hope.