sophie's fair

Bugs & Daffy (c) Warner Bros

On the tenth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Ten Lords a Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings

i already mentioned here there wouldnt be any news feeds from me, but it's just plain impossible to stay away from these events, so --

Here are 2004's top 10 stories, as voted by AP members.

1. US ELECTION: After vanquishing Howard Dean, John Edwards and other Democratic rivals, Kerry seemed to have a strong chance of ousting Bush...

2. IRAQ: Throughout 2004, Iraq was a striking mix of bloody turmoil and tantalizing promise...

3. FLORIDA HURRICANES: Four major hurricanes — Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne — devastated Florida and other southern states in August and September, killing 117 people in Florida, destroying 2,500 homes and causing more than $22 billion in insured losses...

it was indeed a terrible, terrible time. if you've never experienced it, it is unthinkable to grasp the pain of losing a home or a loved one. or worse, both. this holiday season, why not share your blessings with others? there are ways, you know?

4. ABU GHRAIB SCANDAL: Photographs came to light showing U.S. military guards at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad forcing naked Iraqi detainees to pose in humiliating positions...

who wasnt scandalised, anyway? but as there are so many wretched, contemptible, vile, mean, despicable people all over the world, there are honourable and upright men and women worthy of our respect.

5. SEPT. 11 REPORT: After painstaking research and dramatic public hearings, the commission formed to investigate the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, issued its report...

the investigation led to a belief that america's leaders failed to grasp the gravity of terrorist threats before Sept. 11 and recommended creation of a national intelligence director to oversee civilian and military intelligence agencies. as long as they're coming up with solutions to solve terrorism. i refuse to justify terrorism.

6. GAY MARRIAGE: From coast to coast, gay marriage was a volatile topic throughout the year... However, each time the issue reached the ballot — in 13 states in all — voters decisively approved constitutional amendments banning gay marriage.

7. ARAFAT DIES: For three decades, Yasser Arafat was a hero to most of his fellow Palestinians but considered unreliable — or worse — by leaders in the West and Israel...

arafat was the father of modern terrorism. 'nuff said.

8: REAGAN DIES: Alzheimer's disease had kept Ronald Reagan out of the public eye for a decade... His stately funeral in Washington brought the country together at least briefly in a year otherwise marked by bitter partisan divisions.

there is another way to resolve the conflict: we cannot afford to be ignorant. when the damage is done, there cant be any room for regrets.

9: RUSSIAN SCHOOL SEIZURE: Even in a world grown all too accustomed to terrorism, the drama in the Russian town of Beslan was shocking because children were so clearly prime targets...

what happened in beslan deeply affected me. there's no excuse for the more than 350 lives that were taken.

10. MADRID BOMBINGS: Another stunning terrorist strike occurred in March, when 190 people were killed after bombs hidden in backpacks exploded on four commuter trains during Madrid's morning rush hour...

hatred has been sown for 10 centuries. if we divide the land further, will they stop?

oh yeah, the red sox's world series victory was voted no.13 and was among 10 stories that received at least one first-place vote.
c'est la vie.