Happy New Year—and Goodbye 2011

We wish our readers a Happy New Year—and invite you tell us what it’s like for you to say goodbye to 2011. To get you started, we asked Eagle Rock writer David Drum, author of the novel, Introducing the Richest Family in America, to offer his top 11 reasons why he’s relieved the past year is history. Drum, whom we featured in a February 2011 article, graciously obliged—with matchless wit and a clever work of art to go with it:

• The Curse of the Cat: It was the Year of the Rabbit. (2012 is the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese calendar.)

• Bodies Without Minds: The U.S. Congress.

• The Flame Within: The Occupy movement, which reminded us we live in a democracy.

• Skirts Ahoy!: My hope that hemlines are going up next year—a signal of prosperity.

• Underground: Goodbye Japanese nuclear meltdown, although there may still be some radioactive material underground.

• Broken Barriers: Could apply to end of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.”

• Easy to Love: This might apply to a political candidate—but for the life of me I can't figure out which one.

• The Killers: Almost every economist who had a prediction about the economy in 2011—and drove our animal spirits down.

• House of Pleasure: Probably the brokerage houses of Wall Street, where the few remaining rich people in America are minting their money.

• Jezebel: The lovely Michelle Bachman, who had her five minutes of fame but doesn't realize it’s over.

• Mademoiselle Fifi: Mademoiselle is upside down, like lots of mortgages in Eagle Rock and other parts of California.