Happy New Year!

This was our New Years crew for the celebration. It's funny and seems arbitrary to put so much focus on one single moment in time, doesn't it? There is so much build up and anticipation for one passing moment that could just as easily be February 1st, June 1st, or October 1st, but it's nice to have the universally recognized non-holiday so close to Christmas because then I get to have so much paid holiday time off. I don't mind that one bit, it just seems strange. It was really fun to see everyone. It feels like it's been too long. Not Dave and Caitlin, I see those dirtbags all the time. I say that affectionately.

I'm going to link to what I thought were some interesting pieces. This one comes from a free-lance journalist reporting from Fallujah, Iraq. Do you remember that name? It's the place, where, a couple of years ago they had burned and dragged the bodies of dead soldiers through the streets. One of the notorious taped beheadings took place there. Now it's the place where this is a common scene:

Is it all possible for that guy to look anymore relaxed than he does in that picture? The article is really interesting because it paints such a different picture of that city than what you would ever imagine. Some of the pictures feel like scenes from my mission - just similarities in the simplicity of the people and the feel of ease that they seem to have.

This next link covers a New York Times editorial. These people must be completely insane. I mean seriously. Things are, and have been, very good in the United States for some time now, but the picture they paint would have you think otherwise. The articles are a little bit longer, but worth your time. The first link includes lots of pictures.