Martin Luther King Jr. was born 11 days after my father, on January 15, 1929. They both would be 77 years old today. Had I had it my way, MLK would have lived a long life. Short of that, I am happy we celebrate his life every year in January and most of the country stops and reflects on Dr. King’s dream. 
Michelle Bachelet, "a socialist doctor and single mother", is the first woman to be elected president of Chile. She received 53% of the votes. 
In Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first woman to be elected president of an African country, was sworn in today. Both president Bachelet and president Johnson-Sirleaf are talking about reconciliation and are asking their people to come together to rebuild their countries, overcoming divisions and conflicts. Keep the good news coming. Our hopes are high for this brand new 2006.