This has been a hell of a year! 2011 didn’t miss anyone in its path of destruction and lowering of expectations and results. From evil dictators, terrorists, natural disasters, average citizens and currency, 2011 has taken a toll on everyone around the globe.

In America, we have seen politicians rise and fall. Remember Herman Cain? Our stock market has been far from a steady climb and the housing market, dollar value, working people and the confidence of the people are all at record lows.

This year marked the first time Americans disapproved of Congress AND their specific congressman. Usually, Americans are unhappy with Congress as a whole but still adore their member of Congress. This could mean incumbents of both parties from sea to shining sea are in trouble in the upcoming 2012 elections.

Across the pond in Europe, things don’t look much better heading into 2012. Several nations are on the brink of bankruptcy, the members of the European Union are fighting amongst themselves on how to resolve the financial woes of the region, and the value of the Euro looks as solid as a house in Las Vegas.

In the Middle East, 2011 has been a year of change, upheaval and liberation. Libya, Egypt and Iraq have all seen the toppling or vacating of old and tired regimes. To some in Iraq, the Americans leaving is a moment of liberation.

The group that took the worst fall of the year is the bad guys. 2011 saw the fall or death of many of the world’s most renowned bad guys. America killed Osama bin Laden. Hugo Chavez’s health is failing. Moammar Gaddafi’s regime fell. Fidel Castro resigned his position in Cuba’s Communist Party and Putin is finally losing his popularity in Russia. And North Korea’s Kim Jong Il passed away last week, leaving a vacuum to be filled by his son.

There is one thing on the rise around the world: sovereign debt. Sovereign debt is the debt held by a nation. America’s debt is now over $15 TRILLION and rising as I type this sentence. Another rising star around the world is the collection of nations known as BRIC: Brazil, Russia, India and China. This week, Brazil passed Great Britain as the sixth largest economy in the world.

If 2012 is anything like 2011, it should be a good year for Twitter, 24/7 news cycles and therapists.

The last bite…

I love trying new restaurants! Courtney and I stopped in at Cyrus on Veterans Boulevard in Metairie after passing hundreds of times during its construction. The Persian cuisine was an absolute flavor fest. We started with warm, homemade pita bread and freshly ground hummus topped with sumac (a dried fruit). My entrée was a whole chicken in a tomato basil broth served with a side of cranberry saffron rice. Courtney’s Chicken Kabob was one of the best we’ve ever eaten. I wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant. Only the ambiance was very poor due to completely bare walls and low, elevator music. I give Cyrus 4 (out of 5) crumbs!

Buddy Boe, a resident of Garyville, owns a public relations and program management company and is well known on the local political (and food) scenes. His column appears Wednesdays in L’Observateur.