The Year in Review

I am watching the CBS evening news and they are doing a synopsis of the events of 2009. I look back at the year and how these events have affected my life.

• President Barack Obama sworn in as 44th president of the United States of America - something for those of color (and perhaps of Asian descent) to aspire to. Who knows? It is also entirely possible a woman may be next.
• Ben Bernanke saying that technically, the recession is most likely over. My meager 401K had taken a nose dive but has shown signs of rising from the dead along with the stock market. I am lucky enough to be included in the fortunate few who do not fear the loss of their jobs since unemployment is still at an all-time high.
• Health care overhaul - may it not lead to more angry people shouting at each other. May it not become a burden on the ordinary taxpayer like me.
• Breast Cancer screening - the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force said that women with no particularly high risk can wait until they are 50. My instinctive response is "Are you kidding me? You mean all that squeezing was for nothing?"
• The spread of H1N1 - I am glad people are now more aware, and are sneezing into their arm sleeve. I am also thankful that more people are washing their hands specially after going to the bathroom :-)

There is a soft spot in my heart for the airline industry. While this year the "Miracle on the Hudson" made Sullenberger a hero, there were also other stories that make people not want to fly.

• The Christmas Day attempted bombing of a Northwest Airline flight. Who does not complain about taking off their shoes and stripping down each time before boarding a flight? My quart-size, clear plastic bag of 3-ounce liquids runneth over. I would certainly hope that more effective measures are being taken.
• A plane from Newark, N.J., crashed into a home near Buffalo, N.Y., killing all 49 people on the plane and one person on the ground. Makes one think - you do not even have to be on the plane for such a tragedy.
• A Northwest Airlines flight from San Diego was carrying 144 passengers when it overshot Minneapolis by 150 miles. The pilots say they were distracted over a heated argument on airline policy. Sounds familiar - anyone? The major difference is that when we overshoot our destination, we are not greeted by a swarm of police suspecting a terrorist attack.
• A small plane and helicopter collided over the Hudson River. The planes were flying in a corridor reserved for small private planes and helicopters flying below 1,100 feet over the river. Pilots are responsible for avoiding other traffic. Let me point out - so are car drivers.

Let me take a moment to acknowledge the passing away of the following people:

• Walter "And that's the way it is" Cronkite dies at 92 - may all of us live that long and respectably.
• Michael Jackson - King of Pop, died of too much prescription medication. Watch and learn.
• Patrick Swayze, Farrah Fawcett Majors, and U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy - they all had battles with cancer. May none of us ever have to lose a loved one to this dreadful disease.

Then there is just the plain ugly.

• Octomom and the use of in vitro fertilization - while I truly understand wanting to have all of your children in one shot, trying for a large multiple birth when you are a single mom with six other children seems incomprehensible.
• Balloon hoax caused by publicity-hungry parents. Report of 6-year-old boy flying alone inside homemade helium balloon captivates the world before the boy is found safe at home. The Heenes were sentenced to jail time and probation, not a reality show as they hoped.
• Is anyone as sick and tired as I am over the Jon and Kate divorce coverage? I never even watched their show.
• David Letterman acknowledging sexual relationships with female employees. He was allegedly blackmailed. So what? He is still a married man who was in a position of power and had sex with his female employees. There is so much wrong with that sentence. On a related note, Tiger Woods crashes SUV outside his Florida mansion, sparking widespread attention to reports of marital infidelity. All I can say is that I have the utmost respect for a woman who can swing a golf club at a cheating husband.
• Where's the money, Bernie? Madoff gets 150-year sentence for multibillion-dollar fraud. He destroyed so many lives.

There were obviously more stories that took place in 2009 but the above are those that stuck in my mind. May the year ahead contain better stories for all of us.