Strong, intelligent leadership

Scientists pushed the "Doomsday Clock back one minute" in the last 24 hours, "citing hopeful developments in nuclear weapons and climate change."

And you know who has lead us in those new, improved directions.

"The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, which maintains the clock and puts an illustration of it on its cover, attributed the move to efforts by world leaders to reduce their countries' nuclear arsenals and collaborate on climate stabilization."

"The group, which includes 19 Nobel laureates, said a key to the 'new era of cooperation is a change in the U.S. government's orientation toward international affairs brought about in part by the election of (U.S. President Barack) Obama.'"

Yeah, President Obama.

And then this:

Despite a recession that's disproportionately affected their community, African-Americans are dramatically more upbeat about their progress in this country than at any time during the past quarter century, according to a new Pew Research Center poll.

Okay, so, sure, one is the opinion of scientists on a rather arbitrary evaluation of the status of humankind on the planet and the other is the opinion of one group of people in the United States but opinions matter. Assumptions of how we are matter.

These assumptions help us be able to work on for the improvement of our situations.

They help us know that what we do makes a difference.

They help us have hope.

And without hope, there is no reason.

"The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure but from hope to hope." Samuel Johnson

I had hope from 2000 to 2008 but it was very challenged hope, certainly.