Is it the residual after-effects of having dealt with the mess that was 2008 that make the phrase “Happy New Year” sound particularly cynical this year?

I’m not sure, but I think maybe that is the case.

Then again I’ve never been a fan of this particular evening, which I like to call, “Amateur Drunk Night.”

The good news for PlaneBusiness Banter subscribers is that if it’s New Year’s — a new issue of PBB can’t be far off. And it isn’t. We’ll be back in our usual weekly schedule of publishing again starting this weekend — after having enjoyed our usual two week holiday publishing hiatus.

With that — here’s to a much better 2009 for everyone.