Happy New Year!

So far, my New Year has been just like my Christmas. We had a pot luck. I was the only one who cooked something (two pumpkin pies and deviled eggs). The news wires are really slow, except in Muslim areas, where violence knows no holidays.

An American was wounded in the chest in a shooting at a vehicle that belongs to the U.S. embassy in Sudan, Al Arabiya television reported on Tuesday. ### Celebrations to mark the 43rd anniversary of the founding of the Palestinian Fatah movement turned into deadly clashes on Monday. Palestinian medical sources say five people were killed in fighting between Hamas and Fatah supporters in the Gaza Strip. ### Police in northeastern India say seven policemen and one civilian were killed when heavily armed militants ambushed a federal police camp. The attack took place early this (Tuesday) morning in Rampur town in Uttar Pradesh state. ### Sri Lankan police say an opposition Tamil lawmaker has died after being shot by an unidentified gunman near the capital, Colombo.

And yes, France is now a Muslim area.

More than 370 cars were torched in the French suburbs overnight and 259 people arrested, but police said Tuesday that New Year's celebrations were calmer than last year's festivities. Four police officers were slightly injured in clashes but there was no vandalism of public buildings or private residences in the high-immigrant suburbs, police said. "Overall the evening was relatively calm without any major incident," said a police spokesman, adding that there had been "very few clashes with security forces and tension in sensitive areas was significantly lower than previous years."

Do you get the feeling the war is lost when 370 burned cars is considered relative calm? And then, there is the Philippines, where they really know how to throw a party.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- The Philippine health secretary said Tuesday that firecracker injuries dropped considerably during the recent New Year's celebrations, thanks to a scare campaign that included bloody images of revelry gone wrong. The number of Filipinos injured by firecrackers and celebratory gunfire from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1 dropped by nearly half to 439 compared to last year, and there were no immediate reports of deaths, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said. It was the lowest number of injures in eight years, he said.

I guess in that part of the world, that's a pretty successful New Year's. My New Year's day will also be like Christmas day. I am going home to sleep and then might take down my Christmas tree. Depends on what kind of marathons are running today. It is now officially an election year -- the past three years were just practice. Hopefully, I will be able to mostly ignore it until I wake up November 10th to find out who won. People who grouse about our election process should take a look at many other countries, where success is measured by how many shooting incidents, riots and fixed ballots there were -- or weren't.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Kenyans warily ventured out in search of food on Tuesday as violence over the disputed presidential election eased, but did not end, after four days of convulsing the country and leaving nearly 150 dead.

Someone on another site was wondering if there were any good, stable men left to run the country. I responded that there are plenty of good, stable men, but they don't get into politics precisely BECAUSE they are good, stable men. I've said before that all the candidates have major flaws. Take a look at the field on both sides. Would you have any of them as a close, trusted friend? Call me picky, but....