New Year brings hope and promise

So, it's a new year.

And seeing as it's the done thing, I thought I'd take a crack at some new year's resolutions.

Although, perhaps in this case it's better described as a 2012 wishlist.

Just to be a bit different, rather than focusing on all the usual stuff that I normally fail miserably to achieve - get fit, eat better food, spend less time at work - I thought it might be better to look at a few other things I'd like to see happen in 2012.

1) An end to the Canterbury earthquakes

Come on, Mother Nature, seriously? This is beyond a joke now. Actually, it was never that funny to begin with. The poor people of Christchurch have been through enough, and the rest of the country has suffered with them. Here's hoping this is the year the southern city really gets back on its feet.

2) A resurgence in the Wanganui economy

We're not alone in this one. Provincial New Zealand has been through some tough times of late, and Wanganui has been no exception. While there have been new businesses opening up, the general feeling seems to be that they have been far outweighed by those closing their doors. It's time we changed that.

3) No more prayer debates

Enough with the prayer issue. You have to respect Clive Solomon for taking up the fight after the council received a letter from a resident objecting to the prayer, but at what point does the ongoing battle become obstructive to council's core duties?

4) A Michael Laws v Ken Mair rematch

Please, please let it happen.

If not for those who thought the original fight's drawn result was possibly a set-up, then let's have a rematch just for the sheer number of people these two have annoyed, and who really like the idea of the pair of them slugging it out. And remember, it's all for charity ...

5) Some positive steps towards addressing child abuse

We know there's a problem. It's been spoken about time and time again, analysed, dissected and examined.

And yet, it appears we're no closer to sorting out our shocking rate of child abuse.

Meanwhile, the horrific headlines keep coming. This year, I really hope something can be done to fix that.

6) The first Hobbit film needs to be awesome

Only because if it's not, it will go a long way towards wrecking the huge buzz around Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, and New Zealand's feelgood role as "Middle Earth". And I'll be gutted.

7) A resurgence in NZ cricket.

As a long-suffering Black Caps fan, Christmas came early when we knocked over the Australians in December. Years of defeats and valiant yet ultimately futile narrow losses melted away.

I hope for more victories this year.

Okay, so maybe six out of seven won't be too bad.

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