We are heading into another year and events are happening so quickly. The 24-hour news cycle brings the world to our living room in a heartbeat and when the story is over, the tents are pulled up and the circus moves to another town.

We have such a difficult time keeping pace with technological change. Your iPhone 4 will soon be replaced with the iPhone 5 and then the 6 and so on and so on, each promising unimaginable possibilities. It's the same with every tech gadget out there -- immediate obsolescence. What's hot today is tomorrow's has-been.

And this time next year, our world will indeed be a different place.

A year ago

A year ago, who would have predicted the NDP would be our official opposition? Or that it would be led by someone other than Jack Layton?

A year ago, Jean Charest said there would be no inquiry into corruption and collusion in Quebec's construction industry. There will be one in 2012. Who knows where this will lead once the Pandora's Box is open?

A year ago, Bin Laden was alive in his hideout in Pakistan, probably planning his next act of terror.

A year ago, an Arab Spring was a weather story.

A year ago, the people of Japan were going about their daily lives, unaware of the terrible calamity about to devastate their country.

No one has a crystal ball to predict what might happen.

Storm brewing

Here at home, there is a gathering storm over language. With an election looming, all parties will stake out hard-line positions. As English-speaking Quebecers, we must remain vigilant and refuse to take further assaults lying down.

At this point, the Quebec Liberals probably need us and our money more than we need them, because we are Quebecers as much as the Tremblays and Blackburns of Lac-St-Jean.

Will the PQ be nothing more than a rump by this time next year? The sovereignty movement is in freefall. Kind of like VHS in a digital world. A quaint product from another time. Will Gilles Duceppe come back from political purgatory to try to resurrect the pequistes?

And the wild card -- Francois Legault and his Caquistes. A flash in the pan, a party that has peaked too early? Will he be a game changer? To quote Mr. Legault, "on verra."

On the federal scene, an effective opposition would be welcome. Right now, the federal Tories have no one who can call them when they reach too far with their reform reflexes. Will the NDP become the next ADQ?

A look ahead

2012 in the news business will bring us sadness and joy. There will be stories that will make us smile and others that bring us to tears. And we will be here, to bring them to you and hopefully try to make sense of a world that sometimes seems to be spinning a little too fast.

Farewell, Todd

Finally, an adieu to Todd van der Heyden. He leaves us to move on to the national level at CTV. Thank you Todd, a job well done.

And I wish you all a healthy and happy New Year.

Bonne Annee.