Resolution

1. Be less irritable.

Sometime in the last few hours I seem to have made the transition from relaxed to irritated. I'm not sure why, but I suspect that it has to do with the two articles in the paper this morning - the first entitled "Why Optimism is Dooming Society" and detailing how the human habit of looking on the bright side of things is actually leading us to underestimate how bad things really are, and the other something like "Cheer Up You Miserable Sod" telling me that my penchant for caution and worst-case thinking will shortly result in the breakdown of civilisation As We Know It. Well, I mean to say. Make your mind up, for heaven's sake; either my mindset is dooming us all or it isn't. What in engineering terms is called prudent caution is termed rank pessimism by others, it seems. And then there's the bloody Conservative Party (apologies to those of my readers who are supporters of Cameron et al.) who seem hell bent on screwing this country completely, to say nothing of the pathetic excuse for leadership the Labour Party seems to be offering these days (apologies to those of my readers who are supporters of the left) and the complete disenfranchisement of its supposed base, and don't even get me started on that miserable excuse for a political movement 'sharing' Government with the Tories (oh, who am I kidding). All to a rampant chorus of Daily Mail Journalists, Occupy Protesters and the apathetic voice of my own generation. Sod them all.

2. Be more optimistic.
We're all stuffed. My generation will leave University to face a national and global economy in tatters, the most powerful nation in the world increasingly polarised in the face of challenges from the East and Russia, who themselves will struggle to remain stable as they deal with an emergent middle class no longer tolerant of totalitarianism, and regimes will fall to be replaced with other regimes. At home, we will be faced with increasingly high unemployment and debt. My generation will find it increasingly hard to buy houses. My sector is in long term decline and eventually will probably vanish from these shores altogether, despite employing more people in this country than the financial sector. The NHS - the second largest employer in the world, dedicated to making the world a better place! - will be diced up and sold off. British companies will continue to manufacture arms for the new dictatorships. The oil will run out, leading to further war over resources, and the oil wars will be followed by conflict over safe drinking water.

And perhaps most bitterly of all, Wales will never win the Rugby World Cup.

3. Write more regularly.

Oh who am I trying to kid. Any attempt to impose any kind of publishing schedule on this damned blog will be met with equal parts lethargy and procrastination.
Happy New Year. We're all doomed.