2008 is nearly past now. A lot has happened. Far more than could possibly be summed up in this tiny spot. And besides, all the major news outlets are covering it at this very moment. So I'll just touch on a few things.
It was a weird weather year. I'm fascinated by weather. There were tremendous storms in some places that aren't used to seeing them. Here in Indiana it's been pretty unremarkable aside from the torrential spring rains that caused so much devastating flooding. Some places are a little warmer than usual and some are cooler. No doubt somehow related to, or at least blamed on, the popular doomsday cry about global warming.
We lost several stars, musicians, and otherwise famous people. Among them are Sir Edmund Hillary (1st person to climb Mt Everest), Bobby Fischer (chess player), author and commentator William F. Buckley, Jr., Maharishi Mahesh Yogi ("spiritual advisor" to The Beatles), Sandy Allen (of Indiana, second-tallest woman in the world), Bill Meléndez (Peanuts animator and producer), Larry Harmon (a.k.a. Bozo The Clown), fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, Sir Arthur C. Clarke (science fiction author), Michael Crichton (author), and Don LaFontaine (voice actor). In the world of entertainment we lost actors Charlton Heston, Paul Newman, Heath Ledger, Roy Scheider, actress Suzanne Pleshette, and Sydney Pollack (actor, director, producer, and screenwriter). We laugh a little less these days with the abscence of Harvey Korman, George Carlin, Bernie Mac, and Dick Martin (Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In). The television broadcasts we watch look different now with the loss of Jim McKay (ABC sportscaster), Tim Russert, and Tony Snow. In music we lost Larry Norman, Buddy Miles, Jeff Healey, John Rutsey (drummer for Rush), Bo Diddley, Isaac Hayes, Jerry Reed (also an actor), Richard Wright (keyboardist for Pink Floyd), Danny Federici (keyboardist for Bruce Springsteen), and Jerry Wexler (producer and coiner of the term "Rhythm & Blues"). This is obviously not a comprehensive list but you can find more here and here.
We saw the end of over 2 years of political campaigning in an historic presidential election. And we're still in the throes of a struggling economy. Neither of these need any more lip service.
As for this place in cyber space, I plan and hope to do more writing (sounds like a resolution). Now that Christmas is past I'll be watching more movies and commenting on those I find interesting, or just simply bad. My vote for best picture I saw this year goes to Vantage Point which I reviewed some time back. I intend to delve more into switching from Windows to Mac and explore some nice software I've discovered. I may even devote that to it's own area since it has the potential to become quite large. I may get back into political commentary since the 2 years of solid mud slinging yammering is over and the perpetual nausea is finally starting to abate. What ever 2009 holds for any of us, I wish you and yours the best.
One last mention, just in time for New Years Eve, Hangover Myths Debunked.
cheers!
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