2011 Recap: The Year of BIG News and Bad Weather
Each year about this time we pause to look back on what the year that is ending brought. When it comes to news items that are of interest to the majority of us we tend to look at celebrities, politicians, sports professionals, weather, and any earth shattering items that were splashed across the headlines or brought to our attention. In other words, what ever “bad” things that happened to others but were only considered news items to the rest of us.
Celebrity news and events or how the other half lived
1) Big news on the television front involved Charlie Sheen, star of Two and a Half Men. His apparent mental meltdown made the news nightly for a while as he continually acted in a bizarre fashion. He stated he was on a drug and that drug was Charlie Sheen! Even his “Tiger Blood” could not save him from public humiliation. While everyone, including family members Martin Sheen (father) and Emilio Estevez (older brother), worried that he was becoming suicidal Charlie (born Carlos Irwin Estevez) partied on with his “goddesses” while showing up on the nightly news with regularity as he ranted and seemed to imploded after being fired from his role in Two and a Half Men. The higher they are the harder they fall!
2) Lindsay Lohan perpetual bad girl who could be an actress if she’d only lay off drugs and alcohol. Her continuing bad behavior and lack of respect for authority (she ignored court orders handed down by judges) finally lands her in the morgue, doing community service work. How can she be blamed though when her entire family appears to be a train-wreck and her father shows up on Celebrity Rehab.
3) Kim Kardashian weds Kris Humphries. Marriage lasts nearly 72 days before they split! Someone should have told the basketball star that he needed to give up his last name and become yet another K-Kardashian. Was the entire affair just a publicity stunt? No matter the reason, he’s more of a celebrity now than he’d ever be as a mere pro sports star.
4) Amy Winehouse dead at age 27. Autopsy results point to alcohol poisoning when the singer is found dead in her apartment in London. What a sad way for someone so young and talented to go.
5) A royal wedding but who cares? This one was not the extravagant affair that occurred back in 1981 when Charles and Diana wed but Prince William wed Catherine Middleton, a commoner at Westminster Abbey while three billion watched on their tellies.
6) This time around the courtroom drama celebrity was Conrad Murray, doctor of Michael Jackson, and he was convicted! Judge and jury gave the doctor the full four year sentence for negligently handling the care of the pop star icon.
7) Casey Anthony was acquitted in her trial involving the death of her daughter on July 5, 2011, causing many to reflect back the the O.J. Simpson trial and his acquittal even though evidence was strong against him. Casey was guilty of winning over the jury if nothing else.
Politically speaking 2011 provided us with scandals but little substance
Never quite as interesting as celebrity fame and self destruction but still necessary is politics and how those guys handle the scandal they may become involved in makes interesting news. The year before an election year is always full of surprises, defeats, and excuses from those who aspire to high office and 2011 was no exception. Some of those who fell in defeat or at least stumbled mightily include:
Herman Cain who’s run for president was severely handicapped when it was disclosed he had affairs and “inappropriate” behavior with several women in his past.
Anthony Weiner proved to be a “perve” when he sends weiner pics to several women while using his Twitter account. On June 16th he resigned from his position as Congressman.
David Wu made some sexual advances to the daughter of a fundraiser that were unappreciated.
Multi-million dollar “Pros” just live life their way
While scandal prevails on many levels most of those who participate in professional sports tend to lead cleaner lives.
1) Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit.
2) The sport of basketball is back in full swing by end of 2011 after striking ended.
3) OK time for a scandal! Jerry Sandusky accused by several men of sexually abusing them when they were young boys. And supposedly coach Joe Paterno knew of the incidences and kept quiet.
Weather wise life was a tornado of events!
2011 was a banner news year weather wise from beginning to end:
1) A draught and fires in New Mexico and Texas
2) May 21st there was an extremely dangerous EF5 tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri as it passed through tornado alley and killed 160 people. The massive storm with winds up to 250 mph destroyed at least one third of the city whose population was about 50,000 at the time.
3) A hurricane named Irene that devastated the east coast in August, causing massive flooding. Although hurricanes do move up the eastern seaboard occasionally, they are not all that common, especially those that prove so destructive and devastating as Irene.
Asteroid hitting the earth… and other newsworthy tidbits!
1) The size of an aircraft carrier, asteroid 2005 YU55 came close to hitting Earth. It was an estimated 202,000 miles away at its closest while our moon is 239,000 miles away. That’s too darned close!
2) Scientists have concluded that we may not be alone! Our Milky Way contains at least fifty billion other planets comparable to our Earth and may be capable of sustaining life as we know it. They call this the Goldilocks zone.
3) A human heart is successfully grown in a lab using stem cells as a foundation.
4) The United States officially ends its Space Shuttle program when NASA launches the Endeavour for the final mission May 6.
5) This one did hit the Earth! Satellite UARS “deorbited” and fell back to Earth on September 24, 2011. It was a guessing game as to exactly where it would crash land and how small the pieces would be when they hit.
