ANOTHER year about to end means another chance to start afresh economically, and we'll get to that in a second. But first, I absolutely must say this:

I bumped into the Premier at a local watering hole last week. "Hello, squire," I said, in the classic British way of offering the man a drink, "what's your poison?"

Now, before you go rushing off to report me to the Immigration Department, the Human Rights Commission, CURE, CURB, or any of the thousands of other government bodies, let me explain something to you. That was what we in the restaurant trade call a joke. In fact, it is what was once called a black joke, although it isn't called that any more, and rightly so.

It's humour, intended to produce laughter, which our Premier would doubtless recognise as the best medicine.

There are two things that no one alive would ever admit: (1) that they drive badly and (2) that they do not have a sense of humour.

The affair of the Elbow Beach chef is a grotesque embarrassment. The man made a joke, friends. Not a thigh-slapper, but a witticism. It was not a terrorist threat. The waiter who ran off to the authorities deserves to be castigated for his immaturity (and perhaps his jealousy, too). In combination with Immigration officials who appear to suffer from poor judgement, the waiter ruined a man's life for no good reason.

A letter in last week's said, humorously: "There will be a gathering of all loyal subjects outside the offices of magazine ? for the purpose of burning posters of well-known satire columnists ?" Er, that would be me.

For the record, I would like to state that, as recently as a few weeks ago, after an interview I conducted with Premier Dr. Brown, he showed himself capable of making a mildly satirical comment and ? unusually for someone who can dish it out ? entirely capable of taking a mildly satirical comment in return. Why? Because he's an intelligent man and because there was mutual respect, I would guess.

I won't break the confidence by sharing the humour with you, but I will say that the Premier and members of his staff roared with laughter when the two of us had finished making fun of each other. I was, in fact, encouraged by a leading member of Dr. Brown's staff to continue my satirical ways. There is no lack of a sense of humour in Bermuda's highest office.

But everyone concerned with the deportation of the chef should hang their heads in shame. Far from helping, they have shown that some corners of official Bermuda cannot take a joke, or even recognise one. And that's a shame. Political satire is a centuries-old tradition. Politicians are public figures and, as such, are fair game for lampooning.

Freedom of speech is a tremendously important marker of progress in the development of a society. In some parts of Bermuda, we're not there yet.

* * *

And now to matters financial.

We're about to start January. You probably overspent during the Christmas season and are dreading the bills that are about to arrive. It's time for some tough love.

If you're going to make a resolution to behave more responsibly, good for you. But unless you're going to take it seriously, don't bother. Setting out to achieve something that you know you won't achieve is worse than a waste of time. It will merely reinforce your poor self-image.

Worse, you'll end up blaming me if you fail.

Rather, perhaps, than making a general vow to "save more money" or "behave more responsibly", if you're going to make resolutions, make them specific, i.e.

I will pay off my credit card debts this year; or

I will put $100 a month into my savings account; or

I will not buy another dress until I've worn all the ones I already have; or

If I get a raise this year, I will save the increase every month.

One other thing: maybe you're not the kind of person who is ever going to be rich. Maybe you like spending money too much. Maybe you care so much about the way you look that you'd rather be in fashion than in clover. If so, that's perfectly OK.

Being yourself is probably more important than any other advice I can give you. If the real you is interested in being rich, one day you will be. And if the real you thinks that saving money is a wasted effort, or causes missed opportunities, or is anti-social, so be it.

Whoever you are, keep reading, and lighten up a little this year. A little humour is often the best approach to anything, apart from cooking, apparently.

Happy New Year.