Like you Really Care is taking the rest of the year off. Well, not really. I have a Web site to author, a set to design, and some digital projections to assemble. So barring a terrorist attack, I'll leave this year as it was -- tense and noncommunicative.

King George's regime won't talk about why they really want to go to war with Iraq. Is bin Laden alive or not, and (when) will they attack us again? When are the corrupt CEOs going down? Why are the Democrats being such pussies? When do I have to get my "Natural Born White American" bar code tattoo? We don't know.

The biggest event of the year, in my opinion, was not the arms inspectors or the snipers or Trent Lott wishing everyone a White Christmas. The most significant event was the Bali terrorist attack. This attack was very significant to the people of Australia, New Zealand, and their neighboring islands. The group behind the attack probably has ties to al-Qaeda. The Twin Towers had been bombed before and it was a center of finances and a symbol of American arrogance. Of course it was a target. The idyllic vacation spot of Bali, on the other hand, was a vacation spot, and its safety, and the safety of human beings, was shaken by it. But because it happened somewhere else, Americans hardly noticed.

This year saw the world become very vocal about its hatred for America. As corporations fell and Bush's grimy, greedy, imperialist hands reached out over the oil fields of the world, the country once seen as the pinnacle of the free world is now seen as the country that wears a false badge of freedom only to enslave the economies of soverign nations.

At the end of 2001, I was proud to be an American and to stand up with my country and say, "Git off my lawn!" That battle cry has become an excuse for the government to wipe its ass with the Bill of Rights and not "keep off the grass" of other nations, however. I end 2002 ashamed of the country I call home.

Well, not entirely ashamed. Good things happened this year. We saw that some people will still stand up for what's right. We learned that there really are some good cops. Priests are finally owning up to their past (though they deserve to go to jail). America learned that some people have really dangerous jobs and should be protected by their community and praised.

As for me personally, I returned to school, which is the best decision I've made since I graduated from my last school. I learned to pay closer attention to politics. I read more books. I love my job. I saw my father turn 50 and my brother get married. I'm in love with a wonderful woman. I learned that I don't like strip clubs. I finally got a DVD player. I'm ashamed of America, but it's still the greatest country in the world for the opportunity it offers (though Canada is looking pretty sweet). I had great opportunities this year, and, most importantly, I used those opportunities to grow as a human being. 2002, the last palindrome year until 2112, was a great year for Arlo.

I'm just as surprised as you that I left my year-end blog entry on an up-note. Happy New Year. Don't drink and drive.

My choice for album of the year.