Wow, time sure does fly when you're having fun, doesn't it?  Actually, it seems to fly regardless of the fun these days.  2016 was pretty much a shit-trifecta for me; the last three years have been particularly trying, financially, emotionally, and physically.  I've had to endure the loss of my freedom and abuse at the hands of corrupt judges and spiteful court employees who got their panties in a bunch despite being innocent (no Ohio, I haven't forgotten you), lost my home, suffered through extreme depression, and was forced to face more unpleasantness than I care to relate.  Somehow, I managed to get my first paperback into print (after working on the manuscript for over two decades, but that's another story), prevent myself from living in a box under an overpass, and even find some gainful employment while trying to further my artistic pursuits, but I can honestly say I never want to have to go through such a time again.
2016 was also a nasty year for so many others.  We lost a good number of cherished actors, musicians, and other performers from our childhoods, watched as innocent people in Yemen and other nations were slaughtered, and was forced to watch while our election process was unveiled as a complete sham as idiots across the country voted the King of the Oompa-Loompas into our nation's highest office.
Now, however, the great celestial cycle begins anew, and I can only hope that it will be a more positive year than the one previous.  True, it is likely that the next four years will be harder for many, especially financially, for those in creative industries, but I still have hope.  With that hope has come a newfound determination that I will not allow the events of the last three years to repeat themselves.  I have learned much through those events, and will be using that knowledge to safeguard myself against such stressful and unpleasant things in the future.  To do this, I will have to become much more proactive in how I deal with both people and agencies, and though I have been hesitant 