Official welcome for 2007

Welcome to the first sunrise in 2007. May it be a good year!

May it be a good year for everyone.
I can't bitch about our 2006. Overall it was a good year, especially the last half :)

Russia and Belarus have reached a deal for the Gas contract yesterday, so we will not sit in the cold.
Good news.

Romania and Bulgaria have joined the European Union today/last night.
The approximate income in Romania is 200,- Euro. How they gonna survive, I don't know.
Maybe with a welfare system like here in Hungary, that at least seems to guaranty a sort of survival.
I wish them the Best of Luck though!
More news about this at reuters where you can see how the EU grew since the 1950ties.
And more news about this also at reuters

Slovenia switched over to the Euro. Makes traveling easier and things more expensive? I hope not.

Bombs in Bangkok and in Madrid - humankind seems never to be able to keep peace.

Saddam's dead. I still have mixed feelings about the right of humankind to kill someone or not, but in this case I tend to say, he deserved it, sorry.

The taxes got raised in Germany. I'm sure this will be good for the economy (attention: Irony at work).
Times haven't changed since a big, fat chancellor a few years ago mentioned that Germany has to adjust the belt tighter.
The news about the changes in german at FAZ