In America, the general public has developed values that one might describe as generally “warped.” People talk about “Peace in the Middle East” or the “Fiscal Cliff” or the “escalating National Debt” or "massive unemployment" or the “devastation from Hurricane Sandy.”
But what the public more directly focuses on during the majority of the year are “The Housewives of New Jersey” or the front page of “the Star or National Inquirer.” Based on this approach, I would list the most "significant events of 2012," occurrences that transcend any possibility of being downgraded to less than monumental:
(1) Pippa Middleton, Princess Kate’s sister, getting far more attention for her dress than the Royal wedding between Kate and Prince William.
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(2) Katie Holmes dumping Tom Cruise, proving that you can escape both Tom and Scientology at the same time and come out unscathed.
(3) Jerry Sandusky finally feeling the jaws of justice clamp around his miserable existence.
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(4) The World not ending on 12/21 even though Iran and its terrorist government probably already have nuclear bomb capabilities.
(5) Rush Limbaugh learning reluctantly that the public may not approve when you publically call someone (Sandra Fluke) a “slut” just because they disagree with you. Limbaugh then following with his “Bane” comment, relating it to Bain capital, because Limbaugh is too illiterate to have ever read a Batman comic book, knowing that there really was a “Bane” character.
(6) Finally disposing of Osama Bin Laden while the world media lambasted the U.S. because he may have been unarmed when he was killed by the Navy Seals. Question: How many people at the World Trade Center were armed on 9/11?!
(7) $5.3 billion spent on Presidential and Congressional races, while Congress and the President have the least productive years in modern history, with unemployment setting new records and millions of people losing their homes on mortgage defaults.
(8) Christie hugging Obama and upsetting the Republican Party. Why can’t he remember to be partisan at all times?
(9) Our sincerest gratitude to Jennifer Lawrence, a.k.a. Katniss Everdeen, from “Hunger Games” for tripling the number of girls in America in 2012 that have signed up for archery lessons. She's done more to stimulate the economy than Congress.
(10) Lindsay Lohan proving that she can make it through 48 hours without committing a crime that will land her back in rehab.
(11) Robert Downey, Jr. showing that he is a true “Iron Man” in the movies, while historically having a will somewhat lacking “iron” in his battle with drug addiction.
(12) How proud we should be that more Americans are up on Snooki’s pregnancy than know the names of their representatives in Congress.
(13) Upsetting the public was the breakup between Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. Apparently he did not have the “die-hard” attitude needed to make it work. Instead, Ashton decided to make it work with Mila Kunis, one of his old “Friends with Benefits.”
(14) A 15-year-old girl, Blaer Eidsdottir, a resident of Iceland, has been told by the Icelandic government that she may not keep her name, as it is not on the legal registry of names. Where is George Orwell when we need him?
(15) The Giants going 9 wins, 7 losses and winning the Super Bowl. Or in other words, let’s take a few games off and relax while we barely make the playoffs. (Didn’t work quite as well in 2013).
(16) The Jets contracting for Tim Tebow’s services, believing that having multiple incompetent quarterbacks will somehow make one great quarterback. Delusional.
(17) LeBron James winning an NBA championship and finally shutting up all the naysayers.
(18) NHL Hockey anyone?
Now for Fort Lee:
(1) Fort Lee electing four new BOE members. Is there hope on the horizon for 2013?
(2) The real “poop” on Fort Lee improvements. The "dog park" appears to be appreciated by the pet owning residents.
(3) Fort Lee residents “waking up” to the fact that a $30 million referendum didn’t buy new classrooms that are critical to solving the overcrowding problem in the school system. New referendum in 2013 anyone? (Strong recommendation to the anti-referendum people to please take a ride down the hill and check out the beautiful new Edgewater schools)
(4) Van Fleet Soccer field resurfaced, desperately needed. Councilman Sargenti in charge?! Oh well, good luck!
(5) Whiteman Plaza under siege. The terrorist parents of School #1 children usurping parking spaces and cutting into the owner’s profits, profits rarely used to clean the ice off the adjacent sidewalks during the winter.
(6) Fort Lee still has an all Democratic Borough Council. “We are not going to tolerate dissenting voices in Fort Lee” (possible quote from Kay Nest?)
Wishing Everyone a Happy and a Healthy New Year.
