2021 is just about dead in the water and, if I am completely honest, there was not all that much difference between 2020 and 2021. The right wing's bat shit crazy attempted coups continued, although this time on the state level. The needs of black people everywhere went unheard as usual. Rich people made even more money, while poor people lost even more money. And all over the news today there was the usual empty chatter about "hope" and "optimism", briefly followed by the next story about some robbery or some murder or some family being displaced because of climate change. The pandemic continues to be a nuisance and all over the country many families, which every American pretends to care about while simultaneously talking shit about kids and the relationships that produce them on social media, are wondering how they will continue to feed themselves after the Cadillac congress failed to go to bat for them, again. Yep, nothing new here. Same old story. Same old carelessness. Same old kill or be killed attitude. Same rat race mentality. Same get the fuck out of my way America. But, still, I am not all that disappointed. I have learned not to expect much from my nation. To be completely honest, I do not even expect a hint of decency from people who I have not known for years any longer. So, for me, this was a year of coming to terms with the bleakness of American life, realizing that people do not keep their promises, ever, and that no one is really trying to help anyone but themselves in the end. Such is life. So goes the American dream. But there are always positives in a year filled with negatives, and, in many ways, our devastating tragedies add a bit of extra shimmer to our shinning accomplishments. So, this year I will leave the New Year's resolutions for the people who are wealthy enough to waste time sitting around thinking about how imperfect they are. Instead I will give you some of the things I accomplished this year. All the positives of 2021 happened because of me, not anyone else, which taught me that I did not need other people to be happy, and that is the most important life lesson I can impart on any of you. I taught myself to cook better. I make a mean fondue now, way better than the microwaved greasy stuff my family used to make. I taught myself to be healthier. I added running back to my exercise routine and I am looking and feeling better than ever. I also am eating more fruits and vegetables, something that my friends from high school would be completely dumbfounded by. I also rediscovered my joy for writing. It is still odd to me thinking about how important good writing is to podcasts, but in the last couple of months I saw the proof of that firsthand with the show growing to nearly 4,000 downloads from 1600 downloads in just that short amount of time! Who would've thought that the people who would finally appreciate my writing were the same people listening to podcasts? Not me, but thanks for proving me wrong. Life continues to be interesting, engaging and oh so surprising, even through the bleakness. So what can I say about 2021? I can say that neither political party gives two shits about me. I can say that America still doesn't give a damn about black people, and likely never will. I can say that billionaires will take care of billionaires and no one else. I can say that celebrities can get away with saying pretty much anything now, while at the same time complaining about being "cancelled". I can say that the Supreme Court is a complete joke. I can say that people will always blame people like me for all of their problems in an attempt to avoid responsibility for their own failings. And, finally, I can say that I have my family. I can say that my wife is still the sexiest piece of ass I have ever seen after knowing her for 24 years. I can say that I am proud to be myself, and don't care who else is. So happy new year folks. May all your heartaches lead to joyous triumphs. Happy new year!