And this was the first cartoon of the Y2K. I think it captured the moment well enough, the inevitable feeling following the millennial ball of “What now?”

When I think about it, I really do like to celebrate the new year. Perhaps “observe” would be a better word, for I’m not talking just about the ritual partying. I’m talking about the atmosphere. The annual transition does seem to carry with it a genuine moment of relief and hope, and when people tell you “Happy New Year,” they actually seem to mean it. Maybe it’s just me. It doesn’t help that they’ve completely screwed up all the bowl games.