Another year has raced by, and we arrive soon at the holidays -- a time when much of our industry enjoys a well-earned break. It is also the time when the news media and other organizations put out lists of important stories or interesting people, expected and predictable fodder as we turn thoughts away from work and toward family. In considering this month's View from Here, I toyed with the idea of a "Space Person of the Year" article, shamelessly borrowing from TIME Magazine's "Person of the Year" issue. One could easily imagine a well-drawn caricature of a gaggle of U.S. presidential candidates with their heads stuck in the sand as a fleet of Chinese, Indian, European, and other non-U.S. spacecraft sail by overhead. But, too easy a target, that. Besides, 'tis the season for kindness and generosity.