at last, a happy new year?

i've always kinda hated new year's eve. it just seems like a lame holiday. (my predilection may be genetic -- my alcoholic dad hated it too, calling it "amateur night" and refusing to drink at that time.)

this year will be different thanks to a friend of mine, who happens to be both the greatest graphic artist in the world and a finn.

the way the people from fintown celebrate new year's is to melt small horseshoe-shaped pieces of tin in a pan and then pour it into a bucket of water. the quick-cooled mass takes weird shapes and in a hissing second becomes your talisman and/or fortune telling piece for the coming year. (oddly, the blobs seem to always say either, "kill russians," "drink," "it sure is dark," or simply, "nokia.")

i'll let you know how it goes, assuming you don't get notification from federal employees first.