Almost time to call it a year.

It's 2118 local time here, and it looks like the year's about to wrap up with a minimum of muss and fuss.

It's already wrapped up for several tens of thousands of my fellow American citizens, all of whom I truly hope have some peace and safety in the new year.

For our illegally and improperly elected president, I hope 2007 brings him and his coterie of scumbag and pseudointellectual toadies a conscience. Not that it would be in time for the almost 3,000 men and women in arms who have died and countless family and friends who have suffered thanks to their collective and individual stupidity, hubris and arrogance, but maybe it could save hundreds or thousands of others.

For all of my friends and acquaintances - electronic and in person - I hope that humanity wakes up and takes a badly-needed break from the sheer idiocy, fanaticism, blatant materialism and lack of respect for one's fellow man, woman and child to see what is important in life.

I, for one, am incredibly thankful for having made it through this year with a new opportunity to make something of my life for my family and I. I'm also glad I decided to make the leap into blogging this year, since it has forced me to sharpen my thoughts, re-evaluate my beliefs and stand to be judged by you all. I hope I haven't been too lacking.

And finally, I found something small, insignificant and - for the last six and a half years - profoundly frustrating.

Yes, I finally found a copy of Astrud Gilberto singing a cover of 'Beginnings' by Chicago. I'd heard it while on a bender in a pub in Richmond in Fedruary, 2000, and had not been able to find the record in the intervening years.

Beats trying to get a cost plus award contract to build unfinished schools and police stations in Iraq any day of the week.

Thank you for a year to remember, and all of you have a hopeful year to come.