1. It's the end of the world as we know it, and George Bush feels fine. I just wish they'd tackled the verse about Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs!

2. What could possibly be better than one highly anticipated, endlessly hyped classic-rock reunion tour in 2008? How about a tour that combined TWO endlessly hyped classic-rock reunions?

3. I don't know if I'm supposed to link to the competition here or not, but hey, this is my blog, and this is the sort of sad story that makes everyone want to put away the rivalries, at least for a moment. Terry Armour was as kind, generous, inspiring and talented a man as I've ever met in journalism or in life, and he will be missed by many. His death at work at the Tribune on Dec. 28 underscores the fleeting and fragile nature of life, and on this night as on every other, we should all be thankful for what we have and the friendships that we've forged.

4. Finally, a colleague of mine pointed out the following story from the Washington Post. A sobering read that tells you everything you need to know about what was wrong with the music industry in 2007, and why it will continue its march toward an inevitable death in 2008 if it doesn't change its ways soon.

Happy New Year, everyone. See you on the other side.