My Top Ten of Everything from 2008

There have been so many "top 10" lists that I am creating my own. Here's my top ten list of things that really got my attention last year.

1. Barack Obama is elected President of the United States of America. Wow. What a fabulous thing the people of our country did in electing a black Democratic president. It not only demonstrated the resolve to oust the Bush Kingdom; it showed how sincerely sick the American people are of economic distress, the Iraq war and inadequate health care. My kudos go to the people of the west coast and Nevada, some northern states and the northeast coastal states who toppled the midwest and southern Republican domination of political elections.

2. George Carlin dies. The full article I recommend is listed here. A funny clip of George Carlin's famous 7 Words You Can't Say on Television is found here.

3. The best video I saw all year. Wingsuit Base Jumping in Norway.

4. Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Besides cheering for our American hero, swimmer Michael Phelps, it was cool to see clips of Beijing city and the surrounding area.

5. Proposition 8 Passes in California, much to my dismay. Of all the liberal states, it's California that one would expect to favor equal rights for all. Here's a funny video about Proposition 8:

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... from Jack Black

6. Sarah Palin. In general. What an astonishing pick for V.P.! I share the view of John Cleese, who says that if we elect Obama, then the world will see that "Americans are not all a backwoods, redneck, racist society". ( shown below in Part 1 and then Part 2: )





7. Black Gaming closes Oasis Casino in Mesquite, Nevada. This is my hometown, and to close a major casino here has caused a ripple-effect of unemployment, homelessness and bankruptcy. There were only 4 major casinos and now Mesquite is down to three major casinos. Almost all casinos in Nevada have lost revenue compared to a year ago, and this has hurt the State of Nevada in many ways, by reducing the State's share of gaming revenue which funds many government programs. All bad news.

8. Best television program of 2008: "The Office". Once you get "into" it, this show is hilarious. Click on this, for a great clip from the show.

9. Best joke of the year:

“ An infinite number of mathematicians walk into a bar. The first one orders a beer. The second orders half a beer. The third, a quarter of a beer. The bartender says 'You're all idiots', and pours two beers. ”

10. The economic meltdown. Apparently, mortgage brokers offering easy mortgages to bad credit risks started the ball rolling, and before we knew it, the United States Congress voted to give mortgage securities firms a huge financial bailout. Then the economy in general started to tank. Many companies have laid off employees, and the unemployment rates have skyrocketed. Many homes are in foreclosures. And the worst is yet to come.