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Bosirig l)ays devastating earthquake nr sîmutheru Asjt lias ail but solidified 2004 as the year of Mother Nature's wrath. llie Boxittg Day deep-sea tremor off tlic coast of indonesia measuring 9.0 magnitude crcated a giant tsunami,. or tidal wave, so powerful it mas responsible lrontcatly, exactly one year before ibis year's Boxing Day tragedy, a powerful eartltquake kiiied more than 43,000, injured 20,000 more and leit somte 60,000 homteiess in the ancient city of Bam, Iran. Closer to, home thts year, residetîts of for do.'ens of deathis in Somialia - an wading through 200 miii imetres of rain in ineredibie 6,000 km west of the quake mjd-July. site. At last courtt about 44,000 had dted - just 7,000 less than the entire population of Miltont - and more than a million oth- ers were affected whcen gigantic waves came ashore irt Indonesia, Malaysia, lhailand, Burnia. Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Maldives. Ail in ail. 2004 bias been a year of natu- rail catastrophes. Prior to Boxing Day's devastation, the second haif of the year saw a string of humeiantes devastate the Caribbean, Golf of Mexico and Florida coastline causing billions of dollars tn property damage and severai thousand fatalities. Hall a world away. a trio of typhoons hantnered Japan. whtle in the Philipptnes thousands mere ktlled it nmore than tmo weeks of flooidirg last montit. Eiisiroinmntalists suggest a niatked increase in the frequeney and intetîsity of violent global weather coincides with eontinued man-made global warming. Whether or not global warming cao be scientiftcally linkcd 10 trends itt weather patterus. this year's devastation as a resuit of natural disasters leaves many wondcr- ing, what next? In addition to the ioss of life and bil- lions of dollars in property damage, these powerful sîormns leave somte of the wrld's 01051 impovertshed people with- out shelter, eiectricity. clean water and food. In many cases the rebuiiding of these weather-ravaged countrtes will take * Our Reade%à> lrs Wri tle Thanks to everyone who helped reduce drînkîng and drîvîng Iocally thîs past year Dear Editor: On behaif of the board members of MADD's Halton/Peel chapter, i'd tike to take this npportuutty to thank everynne concerued for their ongotng support throughout the past year. With the help of our dedicated volunteers, emergency services, electcd members of ail three levels of govemment and tndivtdua and corporate sponsors of the communi- ty. we've truly been able to make a difference in delivering MADD Canada's message that drtnking and driviug is a crtmtnal act that causes needless fatalittes and injuries. lits difficuit Io place a value on a human life. and if wc have saved just one ife iu Haiton and Peel mith non public awaccuess campatgns, we have done on job. 1 know that we're contnibutîng to our society by eeoposing the prob- lem of drinking and dnivtng. and subsequently are affccting long- termi hehaviour -thas tcading In safer roads. This is especiatiy evt- dent wheu you have students reaily taking home the message to thetr parents alter havtng parttcîpated in a MADD preseutation ai their sehools. But as always, there's stitt more work to be doue. Once again. thanks for ail yîour support, because wtthout yoo me ssouldn't have heen able to make sncb a big impact in the commanîty Ibis yeac. Here's wishing yoo and your families ail the best for a sale holiday seasou and prosperous nem year. Jeif Gareau, president MADO Halton/Peéel chapter years. We only hope 2005 comes in like a E-mail ail your letters to the editor to miltoned@phaltonsearch.com. iamb -and remaitts that way. Good luck with ail ofyour New Year 's resolutions Happy Nemý Year. Milton! Okay. so ltin jiong the gun a tesý hours but thts time of year atmays gets me escited, even more se, than Christmas. i lîke millions aeross the country. and beyoîîd -see Janduary t as a golden opportuntty to start bentertng myseif. Suce there's no logîcai purpose for choosing flie uevs yeac Io make resoi- luttons as opposed to any other time. A s% lise man once said that es er passing moment is another chance tn tram it ail around. But îhere's just something about the seemingiy blank siate of a nes'. year that crecates a uewfound sense of purpose in many of os, and poshes us tomard seti-improsement. 3Unlîke many people. homever. 1 mon*t be lim- iting myseif 10 any ne resolution tn 200)5. After il, umy shortcoumtngs ceriainly aren't restricted 10 any one area. sol uhy should my resoluttons. And my theory is that if you make a huncb of resolutins -soîne big, some not so big you*re bound 10 keep ut leas ne or tmo. and that's success. By contrast. the pressure of liv'ing up to jost one resotution is offert too, great for most people and oflen ieads 10 failure. 0f course overcoming a tongtîme addtctton tike smoking or drinking can take every bit of nue's energy and mîli-power - and sbouid prnbabiy be attempîed without any distractions - but fortunately l'm not saddled witb such a challenge. lnstead, lIli be joinîng the millions of others m ho are cnmrmned 10 bînîing the gym more often osver the next 12 mnntbs. The potential pilfali 10 tbîs resolîtion is if you're not milling to, make a reai change 10 your exîsting routine. mhîch iu my case means less tetevision -no smatt sacrifice. 1i11 tell yoo. Those who are tmuly flexible igurativety. not physicallyl and ready 10 alter their sehedules. in my opinion, are the nes mos! likely 1(4 make gond on a resolution like geuting in shape. i suppose eatîng heaithier shoîîld go bandin- band wit this. and i mîi ai least gise that a try as mcli. But sînfut food miii be dam near impossible to gise up for yours tmuly. and it's booud to be even barder nom that me«re getîîug a Quizuo*s bere. Esecr ted thcir philly cheese steak subs? triggin' deliciceus. Of course nI ail resoluttous have tii bu diffi. coit. One thing i plan 10 do in 2(X05 is learti hiiss tii skate agatu something that shoutif he ton, and potentiatty amusîng. My motivation conres from the tact that l'i set to hecome a godther in a couple of months and hope t0 inîroduce the young lad 10 Canada's favourite pastîme once he's nid euough to bit the ice. That'il be a fittie easîer to doi if l'm actuaity able to get around on the blades again. Tlhis may not exacîty seem monumental. but if it*s constructive and makes me feet beîter about myseif it's priegress. Yes, major improsements are admirable, but uitIle changes can go a long ssay as mcli toward becomtng a benter person. So once ai] of înght and tonorrow moming«s reveltng bas suhsided. here's hopîng me al] make a concerted effort 10 betîeriug ourseles. in 2(g05. Gond luck. Milton. 1 lu , : rý,, rr 1