ORLANDO, Fla. -- I don’t know where to begin. I guess I could begin 2009 with resolutions. But I made a statement about resolutions last year, and I’m sticking to it: I don’t believe in them. But maybe I'll make a wish-list.

Of course I wish for world peace and happiness and health for everybody. I do hope we can resolve the world’s conflicts without too much bloodshed. I hope we can do something about the genocide in Sudan. If we’ve learned anything from history it’s that we can’t pick and choose which genocide to stop which to ignore and still call ourselves humanitarians. I’m concerned about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – I’m concerned about the lives of innocent people – but I am even more concerned about the rhetoric that may hide the true issues. Most people see this as an Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but upon further study you can really see it as a Palestinian-Palestinian conflict. You have two almost opposing Palestinian governments – one on the West Bank, one in Gaza. Gaza is controlled by the terrorist group Hamas, the West Bank is controlled by the more moderate Fatah. With whom does Israel make peace? And at what price? Hamas fired some 3,000 thousand rockets into Israel last year -- 300 after the cease-fire ended. Of course you’re seeing trauma, heartache and devastation in Gaza; Hamas knows exactly how to cause trouble then hide behind its own people to show Israel’s brutality. Hezbollah did the same thing last year in Lebanon. And people don’t get it. They really don’t. Every time Israel gives an inch, she gets slapped in the face. Because her opponents, the terrorists, don’t want an inch; they want to wipe Israel off the map.

Imagine if Al-Qaeda became the ruling party in, say, Canada, and started firing rockets at us across the border. What do you think the U.S would do? I think we’d crush them. After all isn’t that what we’ve been preaching – stop the terrorists over there before they come here?

Something has to be done. The fighting has to stop on both sides.

Well, this is a real downer. I have some other wishes for the New Year. I wish for one day without junk email, particularly an email from some idiot in Nigeria telling me I’ve won a lottery. I’d like one day without a call from a telemarketer trying to sell me a time share. My time is precious and I don’t want to share it with you. I wish for a day without Britney, Paris, or Reality TV. I would like one day where no one asks for a bailout. I’d like every child to be well educated, and every teacher rightfully compensated for doing some of the hardest work on the planet. I’d like every CEO to take a 50 percent pay cut before laying off a single employee. I’d like my parents to know that I love them even though I don’t call as often as I should. I’d like a lot of things. What would you like? E-mail me and tell me. And please be nice.