This Is My Last Post Of the Year. Really.

I won't be going to the annual First Night celebration in Montclair after all. There's a mix of snow, sleet, and rain outside, and I haven't been feeling well recently. So this holiday season is going out with a whimper for me. As for the year in general . . . well, I did a get a job.

If there's one regret I have at all about the past year, it's this. Earlier this year, I chided celebrities who appear in benefit concerts or shows aimed at fighting poverty for engaging in self-promotion to sure how much they care. This was during the aftermath of the South Asian tsunami. The latter half of the year has proven me wrong. Celebrities get involved with anti-poverty and disaster relief efforts because they do care. Bob Geldof and Bono used Live 8 to get some debt relief for African countries. Harry Connick, Jr. got his feet wet and his clothes dirty by going to his hometown of New Orleans right after Katrina struck and helping out in any way he could - including the rescue of a drowning man. And Kanye West. . . well, he laid it on the line and told it like it was! And still is! :-D

And I'm sorry I implied that Phil Collins isn't that committed to charity. In fact, he's always contributed to benefit concerts - Live Aid, the Prince's Trust shows, Knebworth - and he donated money he made from one of his concert tours to homeless shelters. Hey, he's the Harry Chapin of Britain. Okay, his Live Aid stunt was dumb, but admit it. Admit it, if you dare - you were upset to find him conspicuously absent from the Live 8 roster. And you missed him. :-)

Happy New Year, everyone! :-D