Gotten your beauty sleep?  It’s time for another year of high times and hijinks, merrymaking and madcap media mayhem.  But first, a look back at the year we’ve left behind:

Worldwide news consumers in general began the year hung over from the high drama of the previous year’s scandals and natural disasters…and ended the year feeling a little antsy.

Saddam in particular began the year feeling a little antsy from the high drama of the previous year…and ended 2006 feeling a little hung.

In general, celebrities whose private lives don’t concern us occupied our minds more than the issues that do affect us.  In particular, I’m avoiding naming names for fear of giving them further attention.

In particular, figure heads like Katie Couric and Rupert Murdoch continued to be more famous than the news they played a role in disseminating.  In general, this is nothing new.

In general, the people who showed the most dignity in the media spotlight were those who eschewed it completely: In particular, the bereaved Amish community who banded together after the tragic Pennsylvania schoolhouse shooting comes to mind.

Internet journalists in particular learned they can be jailed just like their mainstream counterparts for refusing to turn over unpublished videotape and other legal evidence. 

Bloggers in particular learned they can get sued for millions just like Drudge (Washingtonienne’s Jessica Cutler by a man claiming exposure and humiliation on her blog; Perez Hilton by paparazzi for copywright issues).  They learned they can snag a book deal (ICM agent Kate Lee scours blogs for talent), win an award for a “blook” (the Lulu Blooker Prize for blog books)….or they can get plagiarized by the mainstream media.  They also learned they can upgrade to the mainstream media: Gawker’s Jessica Coen took a post at Vanity Fair, the original Wonkette Ana Marie Cox is now at Time.

Drudge in particular garnered a little more credit than credit is perhaps due as the so-called “Walter Cronkite of his era) (Mark Halperin and John F. Harris, Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008) and lots more blame than blame is due (supposedly “blaming the victims” for stating that the generation of Mark Foley’s teen IM buddies are less than innocent).  He broke traffic record (topping over 25.1 million page views) and hit yet another high number (the big 4-0). Just when things were developing a veneer of normalcy, he discovered a Little Green Man and invited him onto his radio show (the Little Green Footballs blogger who broke the story on Reuter’s doctored photo).

Drudge Blog in particular:  RegoPark finally produced a ton of media research after 2 1/2 years gestation (the novel’s still in progress), and Lance reproduced after only 9 months of gestation. 

And everyone in general managed to snag Time’s Person of the Year, including YOU, fulfilling the prediction of Andy Warhol in particular… that everyone will become world famous for 15 minutes…for 15 hours or so.