it's so good to see your name and to hear your voice. You have been a source of so much insight and information here. Peace and Happiness to you. You have moved us in such a good direction.

And to all C99ers. May the new year bring us at least some of the sanity we all desire so much. I feel fortunate to be a small part of such a fine group of people.

then there's this...

'You're out partying and I'm working': Trump posts self-pitying 'Happy New Year' video as he spends final hours of 2018 tweeting and defending his '100% foolproof' border wall instead of enjoying lavish Mar-a-Lago ball with Melania

for making c99 insightful and rewarding. Let's hope the new year brings new understanding and paves a path toward peace and prosperity for all.

Either we get serious about dealing with the climate crisis or we will be so far behind the curve that there will be nothing that we can do to prevent the eventual collapse of civilization. I look forward to discussing this here with so many intelligent, open minded folks.
It is amazing to hear the messages from the best of the world leaders. I'm hoping that this is the last year in which the climate imperative is not the centerpiece of their message to their people.
I have a suggestion for Trump to Make America Great Again. Only three steps.
1. Ask Pence to resign.
2. Find a world class statesperson to appoint as a replacement VP.
3. Resign.

I have just watched the videos of the New Year's messages from Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel. Thank you for posting them. They're very revealing, if the translations are accurate, of the differences in style between China's leader and the leaders of Russia and Germany in addressing their countrymen. I was kind of amazed at how rigid the Chinese leader appeared to be, even when speaking of raising people from poverty or in praising soldiers and workers. I was also reassured by Merkel's down to earth humanity, such as it was. But once again, as has happened virtually every time I've read or listened to Putin, I am impressed with his particular kind of intelligence connected to strength and straight talk, also revealing a belief in humanity and well-being.

I know it may be wishful thinking, and I know how I see this when people I love respond to President Obama in the same way, or when people I actually respect respond to Trump with the same kind of belief that he is doing the right thing. I see them pouring all their hopes into the empty vessel of these politicians, who can become anything you want them to be. Putin definitely has me doing that. But so far, I find his actions actually correspond to his statements in support of peace.