Well, here's a sad sign of the times.

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=PRUKIEG4V00LSCRBAEZSFFA?type=topNews&storyID=4063682

If the URL has expired, it's an article about New Years Eve 2003. America waiting to welcome in the year of 2004 is accompanied by images of top secret planes cruising the skies of American cities as police frisk revelers and (of course) the ball in Times Square.

Perhaps I’m overly cynical. This could simply be America finally joining the sad state of the rest of the world. I guess the fairy tale is really over.