Happy New Year!

Year-end stories are mostly about what a horrible year 2008 was, and how 2009 can only be better. There’s certainly some truth to that, but for us, as for most people, 2008 was full of blessings, too. It’s hard to say that we had less fun or, on the whole, a less rewarding year than usual. Of course, our 201(k) plans aren’t what they once were, but it’s only money, and, for better or worse, we have never been mostly about money.

So the new year is worth celebrating, as people around the world have been doing. In London:

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Berlin, at the Brandenburg Gate:

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Another more intimate shot from the same location:

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Manila Bay:

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And Fort Bonifacio, Manila:

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Sydney Harbour:

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And, finally, from Key West, a rehearsal of the “pirate wench drop” to take place at midnight:

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We are enjoying a quiet New Year’s Eve, even by our standards. Happy New Year to all of our readers.

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