The fiscal cliff looms. Wars rage around the globe. Apple Maps wasn't everything they promised.

Yes, there are reasons to despair. To doubt. There are reasons to worry and wonder, and if you're unconvinced or unsure that there are troubles in the world, you can always fall back on familiar, modern malaise or good old boredom. It's so easy to worry, and it's so easy to get bored. It's easy to go dark.

But you shouldn't do that. You should be excited. You should be ecstatic, overjoyed, energized, invigorated. You should be hopeful, because there are also reasons to feel hope, and if you're down in the dumps about some pressing problem that's threatening humanity — well, that should be a good reminder of how much work it takes to make things good. And that the work is worthwhile, and necessary. And you should know that good work is happening all over the place —particularly in our little corner of the world.

Particularly when it comes to snapping 1s and 0s back and forth. Particularly when it comes to dreaming up the future.