For the times of our lives

So here it is the last Friday of 2005.

Thank God!

This year has been one to remember, especially with the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and Rita, and the South Asian Tsunami and Earthquakes.

As the year comes to a close, we are still at war in Iraq, the recovery in the Gulf Coast is still crawling along, the Pacific Northwest is getting inundated by rain and Texas is on fire. Well not all of it, but enough if you happen to live in the path of the grass fires that struck there this week.

What a year, huh?

This year we lost the Pope and got a new one. London was bombed by the terrorists just a day after learning it would host the 2012 Olympics. It was what some called their 9-11, but once again the British people showed their resolve in the face of the bad guys who want to do us harm.

Do I need to mention the hurricanes? Did you know the 27th named storm was brewing in the Atlantic in December!? And Hurricane season ended last month.

This year we also got to see the ineptitude of our government at handling national disasters. Mr. Bush flew over the streets of New Orleans and viewed the devastation from the comfort of the multi-million dollar jet we all pay for.

When he finally did go down to the Gulf Coast, it looked like the horse was out of the barn. Clinton would have been down at the Superdome the day after, wading through the muck in his high-water boots and talking about how he felt their pain. More might not have been done, but at least it would have looked better on television.

Our soldiers continued to die in Iraq, as we tried to find a way to get out of that hell hole without looking like stooges. As of this writing, the death toll in U.S. lives for 2005 was 841. This year, the total passed 2000 dead, but the generals at least are talking about getting out.

The politicians will try to make it look like we did the job we set out to do, and blah, blah, blah, but that doesn't make much difference to the families of those killed. They went when they were called. Our government should strive to be worthy of that kind of loyalty.

Gasoline made it above three dollars a gallon this year, partially, at least we were told, because of the hurricane damage caused by Katrina and Rita in the oil refining areas. I hope that's the truth and not some cock-and-bull story cooked up by the oil companies to make the prices rise to about $2.50 a gallon. I know, that sounds cynical, but hey, this is business; you don't think it has anything to do with humanity, or kindness or the right thing to do, do you?

So here's to 2005, a year we will long remember, and would just as soon forget. Let's hope 2006 is a better one for all of us.