In America, the general public has developed values that one might describe as generally \u201cwarped.\u201d People talk about \u201cPeace in the Middle East\u201d or the \u201cFiscal Cliff\u201d or the \u201cescalating National Debt\u201d or “massive unemployment” or the \u201cdevastation from Hurricane Sandy.\u201d<\/p>\n
But what the public more directly focuses on during the majority of the year are \u201cThe Housewives of New Jersey\u201d or the front page of \u201cthe Star or National Inquirer.\u201d 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:<\/p>\n
(1)\u00a0 Pippa Middleton, Princess Kate\u2019s sister, getting far more attention for her dress than the Royal wedding between Kate and Prince William.<\/p>\n
(2)\u00a0 Katie Holmes dumping Tom Cruise, proving that you can escape both Tom and Scientology at the same time and come out unscathed.<\/p>\n
(3)\u00a0 Jerry Sandusky finally feeling the jaws of justice clamp around his miserable existence.<\/p>\n
(4)\u00a0 The World not ending on 12\/21 even though Iran and its terrorist government probably already have nuclear bomb capabilities.<\/p>\n
(5)\u00a0 Rush Limbaugh learning reluctantly that the public may not approve when you publically call someone (Sandra Fluke) a \u201cslut\u201d just because they disagree with you. Limbaugh then following with his \u201cBane\u201d 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 \u201cBane\u201d character.<\/p>\n
(6)\u00a0 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?!<\/p>\n
(7)\u00a0 $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.<\/p>\n
(8)\u00a0 Christie hugging Obama and upsetting the Republican Party. Why can\u2019t he remember to be partisan at all times?<\/p>\n
(9)\u00a0 Our sincerest gratitude to Jennifer Lawrence, a.k.a. Katniss Everdeen, from \u201cHunger Games\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
(10)\u00a0\u00a0Lindsay Lohan proving that she can make it through 48 hours without committing a crime that will land her back in rehab.<\/p>\n
(11)\u00a0\u00a0Robert Downey, Jr. showing that he is a true \u201cIron Man\u201d in the movies, while historically having a will somewhat lacking \u201ciron\u201d in his battle with drug addiction.<\/p>\n
(12)\u00a0\u00a0How proud we should be that more Americans are up on Snooki\u2019s pregnancy than know the names of their representatives in Congress.<\/p>\n
(13)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Upsetting the public was the breakup between Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. Apparently he did not have the \u201cdie-hard\u201d attitude needed to make it work. Instead, Ashton decided to make it work with Mila Kunis, one of his old \u201cFriends with Benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n
(14)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A 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?<\/p>\n
(15)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Giants going 9 wins, 7 losses and winning the Super Bowl. Or in other words, let\u2019s take a few games off and relax while we barely make the playoffs. (Didn\u2019t work quite as well in 2013).<\/p>\n
(16)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Jets contracting for Tim Tebow\u2019s services, believing that having multiple incompetent quarterbacks will somehow make one great quarterback. Delusional.<\/p>\n
(17)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0LeBron James winning an NBA championship and finally shutting up all the naysayers.<\/p>\n
(18)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0NHL Hockey anyone?<\/p>\n
Now for Fort Lee:\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n (1)\u00a0 Fort Lee electing four new BOE members. Is there hope on the horizon for 2013?<\/strong><\/p>\n (2)\u00a0 The real \u201cpoop\u201d on Fort Lee improvements. The “dog park” appears to be appreciated by the pet owning residents.<\/strong><\/p>\n (3)\u00a0 Fort Lee residents \u201cwaking up\u201d to the fact that a $30 million referendum didn\u2019t 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)<\/strong><\/p>\n (4)\u00a0\u00a0Van Fleet Soccer field resurfaced, desperately needed. Councilman Sargenti in charge?! Oh well, good luck!<\/strong><\/p>\n (5)\u00a0 Whiteman Plaza under siege. The terrorist parents of School #1 children usurping parking spaces and cutting into the owner\u2019s profits, profits rarely used to clean the ice off the adjacent sidewalks during the winter.<\/strong><\/p>\n (6)\u00a0 Fort Lee still has an all Democratic Borough Council. \u201cWe are not going to tolerate dissenting voices in Fort Lee\u201d (possible quote from Kay Nest?)<\/strong><\/p>\n