Thank you to everyone who posted. What a turnout!

Happy New Years everyone! Here's wishing you and everyone the best in 2005.

So where did New Year's Resolutions come from, anyway?

From The Chevron Cars

The dictionary says that making New Year's Resolutions is "setting goals for the New Year." As to where or how they originated, we only know that resolutions were already recorded by the Babylonians as far back as four thousand years ago!

The New Year is a great time to look at the changes we would like to make in our lives and how to accomplish them. A resolution is like a promise to our selves to improve our lives and to make the New Year a better one for our selves and others. Even though their New Year began in March with the planting of new crops, the Babylonians made New Year's Resolutions just like we do. (One of their most common New Year's Resolutions was to return borrowed farm equipment.) They probably also experienced the same quandaries we do.

For instance, experience tells us that if we make a goal too hard to accomplish (like lassoing a tornado) we lose our interest and motivation; we feel defeated before we even get a good start. We also know that if the goal is too easy (like promising to breathe every day) we really won't change anything about our lives.

The Babylonians believed that whatever a person did on the first day of the year had an effect all year long. Hence, making a resolution with sincere intentions is a great way to start the New Year.

The article goes on to suggest some positive resolutions. But I got stuck on one phrase.

An effect all year long? That is some scary stuff right there. And here I thought that after the first few weeks of the years, when earnest resolutions are crashing left and right, the effect just fades away until next year's bumbling attempt. Maybe I should make a resolution to NOT make a resolution this year.

Hey, thanks for the writing opportunity, what a fun idea. :)

Tricia
Magickal Musings

Weeellll here goes...... I'm standing on a major threshold of my adult life and wishing that I could just get it over with. Everyone has been telling me for months about how much my life is about to change but the realization is hitting me like an avalanche.
For those of you who don't know me, I am currently 37 wks pregnant. Which equates to 9 months and one week. My due date is actually Jan. 17 though. I went for my appt yesterday with my obstetrician when he dropped the proverbial bomb. I'm dialated 1 and a half cms. It could be days, it could be hours.
The last nine months are coming to a head. Its really going to happen. I'm going to give birth and have a son who is going to need me for the rest of my life. Its a bad time to be questioning my parenting skills, but I can't help it.
So all of you out there, Have a very Happy and safe New Year. I know I will.

Bytchywytchy

If you're traveling in Pennsylvania after midnight be on the lookout for the ghost of General 'Mad' Anthony Wayne.
Anthony Wayne was born on New Year's day in 1745 in Chester County, PA, about 20 miles from Philadelphia. Wayne served in the Revolutionary War and during the conquest of the Northwest Territory. Returning from battle in Michigan, Wayne grew ill from gout and died in Erie PA on December 15, 1796. He was buried beneath the blockhouse in Erie which now bears his name. In 1809, Wayne's son Isaac disinterred his remains for reburial in the family plot at St David's Cemetery in Chester County. Erie residents wanted to keep Wayne's remains at the blockhouse grave. Unknown to Isaac Wayne, Dr James Wallace boiled Wayne's body in a cauldron and separated the flesh from the bones. Wayne's flesh and clothing were reburied at the blockhouse. The bones were given to Isaac who transported them by wagon to Chester County. According to legend, as the wagon traveled east, some of Wayne's bones fell out along the road Route 322. Every New Years' morning, General Wayne's ghost, in search of his scattered bones, rises from his grave at St David's and rides to Erie and back to St David's.

Dennis
Erie PA and Life

Bobby Jo, The Dog of Steel

Not many dogs can pick up cars with their bare hands. In fact, not many dogs have hands, bare or otherwise.
But Bobby Jo could, and had.

It was such a site to see!
He'd pick the car up as if it were not there at all, and twirl it around for all and sundry to admire.

Soon his owner realised the money-making opportunity that had just presented itself, so he and Bobby Jo decided to go on tour.
Word of this amazing dog soon spread, and people would flock from miles around to see the Dog of Steel in action.
Bobby Jo soon found himself inundated with fan mail.
Day after day, adoring fans would send page upon page to him, telling him how great he was and how much they enjoyed his latest show.

Obviously, with his busy touring schedule, he couldn't read them all, so he would select a few each day which caught his eye.
Gradually, fewer and fewer letters would inspire him to open them, until one day, he spotted an envelope with the Royal Crest printed on it! A letter from the Queen! Bobby tore into the envelope and read the letter aloud:

Dear Bobby,

This is a formal request on behalf
of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,
for you to hold a private performance
for her Majesty and certain carefully
selected guests.

Yours Sincerely,
Steve, the Queens Assistant.

Wow! Thought Bobby, now I've really made it!

He showed it to his owner, but he was too busy in the hot tub with a busty pair of Swedish twins to care about such trivial matters.
So Bobby waited and waited, until finally, the big day arrived! He got up early that morning to practice his new act of lifting a train in the air.
Right on time that evening, a car arrived to take him to the performance. He hopped into the back, and was thoroughly impressed by the plush seats and the large amounts of legroom.
The journey seemed, to Bobby, like it lasted forever. But finally they arrived!

Bobby was so excited, he bounded out of the car, and was knocked down and killed by a passing truck.

Some birds pecked at him.

The End

What!?
Oh fine!
The stupid dog made it to the stupid performance safely and picked up the stupid train and everyone ooo'd and ahh'd and was amazed and then Bobby went home and kicked out his owner, then went twelve rounds with the Swedish Twins in the hot tub.
Happy now?

No one appreciates art when they see it...

Ben - Who has too much time on his hands for a New Years Eve.

Just wanted to pop on and wish you a wonderful happy new year! I hope it is awesome!
Heather
http://mommislife.blogspot.com

What more can I say?
I hope everyone has a safe and happy new year. Also what is the one thing that you are going to concentrate or improve for the new year??

Me... make more time for my kids and try not to work as hard.

Irishbreen

Hello everyone! Just popped in to wish you all a Happy New Years and a very good FFAF! This month I'm posting where I'm spending my New Year's Eve/Day and my resolutions for '05. I'll be spending it in my aunt's house with the whole 3000+ family members. We'll be together singing and dancing and making fun of each other... YEAY! :P Now, as for my resolutions: every year it's lose a little weight to look better and start trying to eat healthy. Now, this year I have to get back to studying instead of slacking off on the 'net and getting C's and F's, so yeah, I think that's about it.

Here's to a good '05,
-Phoenix

Hey there. I don't think I've posted here before. First time I'm posting in Movabletype 3.x anyway.

It's been a real long time since I've been posting in FFAF. Been busy slaving for $$$ and of course, sport climbing. Can't remember when was my last post. Heh heh.

Not too sure if I'll be making any new year resolutions. Haven't been making any, so still a little undecided if I should start. One thing's for sure, 2004 has been a real happening year for me. I've been travelling quite a bit, quit my job and found a new one. Most importantly, affairs of the heart may be developing. 2005 will be a year for me to look out for.

Happy 2005 everyone.

-EndlessTrail

Oh Luka -> I don't think anywhere IS 2005 yet. Probably in a few hours time. It's only 3 pm here in Singapore. ;p

Aloha from the sunny sunshiny state of Incogblogo :) It's me, Luka :) Happy New Year! :) (Well...nearly anyway. And I guess someplace in the world it IS 2005 already, right!? :)) In honor of the New Year I am doing quotes from movies that have the Man of the Year - Jude Law - in them :) Enjoy! :)

It's a mobile airstrip. Dex had a hand in designing it. It's kind of a secret. You can keep a secret, can't you, Polly?

The FFAF is open at my place too, so feel free to hop over there and post too :)

Happy FFAF!

By some stroke of luck, I managed to finagle myself a day off tomorrow in exchange for working Monday, which is the company's paid holiday for New Year's (I know, it makes no sense. Don't ask!).

This gives me the chance to stay up late blog surfing. On the downside, my mind is way too loopy to think of something good to post!

I hope the New Year finds you safe, happy, and healthy. Here's to 2005!

-Daria, the Diner Bitch

Happy New Year...BE visitors feel free to participate and post.. it gives you something different to do in 30sec.

Today is Free-For-All Friday! Free for All means you can post whatever you want on my blog. Say what you want to say, share a link, complain about household appliances, etc...all you have to do is login and post!

Here's how to do it:

1. Go to http://www.dizzyscorpio.com/admin/mt/mt.cgi
2. Login/Password: guest/freeforall
3. Click on "New Entry" on the left
4. Enter a title
5. Type what you want to type in "Entry Body" and if it's really long you can also use "Extended Entry"
6. When you're done, change "Post Status" to "Publish", and click "Save"

Okay tomorrow is FFAF, so today think about what you want to say. I know that it is New Year's Eve and I will be stuck at work or on my way home as the clock strikes 12. So tell me what your plans are for the night or what you New Year's resolution is. I hope that everyone stays safe on this holiday.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!!!!