The Bad

First the shitty stuff: One thing that will be burned in my head forever is the amount of really great people who died in 08. It was amazing this summer. One iconic human being passed away one right after the other – I still can’t believe half of these people are gone. Here’s a list off the top of my head (in no particular order)

-Tim Russert – the best and most trusted voice in American political journalism

- Jim McKay – sports broadcaster best known for breaking the news of the terrorist attack at the 72 Munich Olympics

- George Carlin – one of the best comedians ever, a voice of reason who knew how to make me laugh a lot

- Heath Ledger – he was great in everything he did but in the Dark Knight he showed a rare flash of greatness that should earn him an Oscar

- Bernie Mac – another great actor/comedian gone way too soon

- Bobby Murcer – former Yankee great who succumbed to cancer

- Paul Newman – maybe the best actor of his era (which is saying something given his contemporaries). What sets him apart is the millions of dollars he gave to needy people through his charities.

Next but not least: the economy. There’s nothing new I can contribute to the massive amount of what’s been said about the recession/borderline-depression. It sucks a whole lot. I feel like writing more than a brief paragraph would be a waste of space and of your time. I majored in journalism not economics for a reason. But from what I’ve read and seen I know that it will take a few years before this all gets back to a semblance of normalcy. So, suffice it to say, if you have a job you can tolerate, hold on to it. I know I am – no matter how disappointing it may be. Shit happens right?

The economy loomed larger than every other issue by far in 2008. In all reality, there weren’t many new negative events so much as continuations of past years worth of screw-ups. Like increasing violence in Afghanistan, politicians were exposed for corruption, and Russia invaded a neighboring country. These were among the many things which pointed to the fact that America was ready to head in a new direction. Perfect segue way to the good moments of 08.