As this new year begins, with all its fledgling promise despite turmoil and crisis, it’s also that time when the media offers its lists of 10 best or worst this and that of the previous year, an exercise that simultaneously entertains and infuriates.

Not since World War II has the nation been so password conscious. And while the cryptology of yesterday protected battle plans vital to the lives of thousands, if not millions, today’s code words often do little more than protect access to e-mails from persons purporting to be the pious widows of Nigerian heads of state anxious to send you millions of dollars because the notion appeals to them.

“Protect our children: kill a pedophile.” That’s what the bumper sticker read on a car just ahead of me.
 

Some years outlast “here today, gone tomorrow.” 1929 defines the roof falling in.

The annual transition from old year to new typically brings with it a bevy of predictions. Some are accurate, most are not. Though I claim no psychic powers, I can offer one guaranteed forecast for this or any other year: there will be conflict in the Middle East.

Too many people see the world as black and white. Everything has to be painted with one brush. Otherwise, they might have to think too much, and that would cause them to miss "American Idol" or stop them from finding out if they are smarter than a fifth grader.

At one time, there was a book on the best-seller lists called "Everything I Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten." I always thought there should be one called "Everything I Need to Know, I Learned From My Cat."

I have decided to become a “Law and Order” lawyer. You can become a “Law and Order” lawyer when you have watched approximately 10,000,000 episodes of the show (re-runs count; they’re like class reviews). You can also become a DA, assistant DA, judge, prosecutor, defendant, a victim (or “vic”), a skel or a detective. (I almost went with detective, but I just don’t think I can drink bad coffee over dead bodies.)

2008 and 2009 may be remembered as the years when the Western world finally remembered that the only real authority is moral. We've seen it in Wall Street's collapse and the torture of prisoners – and we've seen it in smaller things.

If you read a daily or weekly newspaper, you’ve probably noticed that our newspapers are getting smaller and thinner with each passing year.

Honk if you don’t know the difference between “hanker” and “hunker.”

This year for the holidays you might have gotten an iPod, some new gloves or a restaurant gift card. But if you were really lucky, you might have been gifted with Obama gear.

According to the Gregorian calendar, January is always a good excuse to start fresh or get started on something in general.

With the economy being what it is and with retail sales being what they are, more and more people are bargaining – for everything.

If 2008 was the year of bankruptcies and bailouts, I better declare mine before it’s too late. Not a financial bankruptcy. I need to declare media bankruptcy.