Last year’s economic and financial rollercoaster, in all respects, prompted me to think of how to best welcome 2010 at TofuWatch.com.

Wise words from a philosopher? A pithy reference to classical Chinese poetry? An obscure nod to some long-forgotten slice of popular culture?

All of these ideas might have been good candidates during more normal times. Of course, the times are not normal. Time, the magazine, went with its pick of Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernake for its person of the year for 2009.

But anytime there are so many non sequiturs showing up in an economy, I believe that more non sequiturs should be added to the mix.

So, let us celebrate a joyous New Year with our calming, soothing, underwater friend – the California jellyfish!

I took this video at the Monterey Bay Aquarium a few days ago, as my family and I spent a nice, short vacation with my relatives.

It’s one of my favorite places to visit, especially since my son enjoys the fish, penguins, jellyfish and sea otters.

Really, if you think about it, nothing can beat the flowing movements of jellyfish.

I think economists would even agree: In this setting, the jellyfish are steady, predictable, certain.

Those are great attributes for an economy that is trying to regain a sense of balance, and um, growth.

To me, the jellyfish appear to be risk-averse and seeking a friendly co-existence with others sharing the same water.

Then, again, I was looking at them in a tank of water in an aquarium.

I do like the colors, though: Bright orange against a nice shade of blue.

If anything, let’s keep jellyfish in mind as we usher in a brand New Year - one that I hope will be filled with great health, better times and much laughter.

There is background audio in this video. So, it’s best to turn the sound on your computer off.

If jellyfish don’t do it for you – and I acknowledge that’s a possibility but I don’t see why the mesmerizing sea animals could be visually unappealing – I’m also including some other video footage of fish doing their thing for humans.

By the way, the aquarium was packed when we visited. Granted, it was between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, a popular time for people to go out for short vacations and to spend time together.

But let’s hope this is a forerunner for 2010 – that people have more in their pockets and are willing to spend a bit more, which in turn will help those economic cogs move better.

Oh, yes. I’ve always liked watching ocean life.

There’s something different, intriguing about water as a medium.

Happy New Year everyone!

I’ll return to my normal pace of blogging in the coming days – or the least, I’ll post new items when time permits.