Welcoming the New Year Chez Sherry – 2014 in Review and Predictions for 2015

I know, I know, I'm later than usual this year. But you've got to remember: I'm older than usual. You've got to for the obvious reason. I can't. Remember. Much of anything.

As 2014 comes (came) to a close and we (belatedly) recall with nostalgia days gone by (blocking out all the unfortunate ones, of course) and think back on the past year:

** President Obama still couldn't do anything right, according to pundits at Fox News, not even when he did what they praised in others.

** Facing reports of the hottest year in recorded history with – very possibly – the most severe weather/geothermal conditions ever, the Koch brothers turned around and faced the other way.

** Those with extremist tendencies reminded us forcefully that joking about religion really isn't funny.

** On the other hand, Pope Francis continued to put taking religion seriously in a really hopeful light – so much so that Facebook enthusiasts bought all the over-the-top stuff attributed to him (me included until I checked).

** The economy in the US of A improved because of President Obama's economic policies that everyone knew were wrong. Meanwhile, the European outlook continued to be bleak because of the general failure of the austerity programs that everyone knew were right.

** With the largest percentage ever of its citizens in prison and more than half of its pregnant women being certifiably hungry (as certified by WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), those who praised the US of A as the land of freedom and opportunity came up against that reality we heard again last year, "It used to be."

And now, predictions for the New Year:

!! Joblessness will diminish and Republicans will, for once, neglect to blame President Obama.

!! Trickly-down economics (by any other name) will continue its historic lack of success while its supporters will remain steadfast in their inability to absorb facts.

!! The European Union will continue to respond appropriately to those who reject austerity as being inhuman and unworkable: Belt tightening is the Answer. (We might agree if we were clear about the Question.) (But probably not.)

!! President Obama will (wait for it, you'll have to) be recognized as one of our greatest presidents, restoring more international good will, introducing more reforms, and solving more economic and social problems than any president in recent memory. (And, face it, all we citizens of the US of A have is recent memory.)

!! The Republican-dominated House of Representatives will engage in at least one more ritual-cleansing vote against the Affordable Care Act and may well do other things to avoid being useful.

!! Global climate change will be generally accepted as a viable theory of why we have global climate change. Details about who's at fault will remain. It ain't us, of course.

!! Nation-wide hunger will join the ranks of world-wide hunger while everyone tries to ignore the growing evidence that natural and organic foods might actually be a more viable solution than manufactured "food" products. Using the term "viable" (loosely, of course) to mean "giving life" or some such.

!! The use of "air quotes" will increase, as will the use of "quotes" in general, but when using "spoken quotes," everyone will still forget to say, "close quote."

Be well and prosper. And remember to (quote) write when you get work (close quote).

Speaking of being well:

:( More children will die or be permanently impaired from vaccine-preventable diseases in the US of A this year than since the "every child by 2" campaign to vaccinate children against deadly childhood diseases began declaring its success.
And that's tragic.