What Caught My Eye Today - 2007 Year in Review

I thought I'd devote today's postings to some of the highlights and low lights of the year that was 2007. I hope you enjoy.

News Stories of the Year - According to the Associated Press these were the top new stories of 2007:

1. VIRGINIA TECH KILLINGS: Seung-Hui Cho, 23, who had avoided court-ordered mental health treatment despite a history of psychiatric problems, killed two fellow students in a dormitory on April 16, detoured to mail a hate-filled video of himself to NBC News, then shot dead 30 students and professors in a classroom building before killing himself. It was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Deservedly so, unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.

2. MORTGAGE CRISIS: A record-setting wave of mortgage foreclosures, coupled with a steep slump in the housing market, buffeted financial markets, caused multibillion-dollar losses at major banks and investment firms, and became an issue in the presidential campaign.

Call me a pessimist, but this time next year don't be surprised if you see Recession on this list.

3. IRAQ WAR: The "surge" that sent more U.S. troops to Iraq was credited with helping reduce the overall level of violence. But thousands of Iraqis and hundreds of U.S. personnel were killed nonetheless during the year, and Iraqi political leaders struggled to make meaningful progress toward national reconciliation.

This probably ranks as the most frequently reported story of 2007. It certainly got onto my blog quite a bit. We can only hope that the "surge" of 2007 is replaced with the "draw down" of 2008.

4. OIL PRICES: Oil prices soared to record highs, at one point reaching nearly $100 a barrel. The high prices, which burdened motorists and owners of oil-heated homes, nudged Congress to pass an energy bill that ordered an increase in motor vehicles' fuel efficiency.

Funny how this story follows the Iraq War. Surely this must be a coincidence. I mean, it's not like we went to Iraq for its oil. No way, we went there because the Iraqi people were screaming for us to free them from oppression.

5. CHINESE EXPORTS: An array of Chinese exports were recalled, ranging from toys with lead paint to defective tires to tainted toothpaste and food. Despite the high-profile problems, America's trade deficit with China was running at record-high levels.

Aside from some political rhetoric on both sides, this story pretty much changes nothing related to the flow of goods from China into the United States. The irony is that if we did slow the import of goods from China into America, we'd probably already be in a recession.

6. GLOBAL WARMING: Warnings about the consequences of global warming gained intensity with new reports from scientific panels and a Nobel Prize to Al Gore for his environmental crusading that included the film "An Inconvenient Truth." Across the U.S., many state governments sought to cap emissions blamed for global warming.

Experts have said from day one, that fundamental environmental change will likely require several smaller grass roots movements to build up the momentum necessary for national governments to act. Perhaps we're seeing the beginning to see those movements appear in 2007.

7. BRIDGE COLLAPSE: An Interstate 35 bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed during the evening rush hour on Aug. 1, killing 13 people and injuring about 100. The disaster fueled concern about possible structural flaws in other bridges nationwide.

Bridges are just a symptom of a much broader problem that isn't getting much public attention, that of our nation's infrastructure. If you think that terrorism represents an economic threat, that's nothing compared to the devastation that would occur if our country's highways aren't looked after with a bit more urgency.

8. PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: In a yearlong drama with shifting subplots, large fields in both major parties battled for support ahead of the caucuses and primaries that will decide the 2008 presidential nominees. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama led among the Democrats; some polls showed five Republicans with double-digit support.

So like this is a 2007 top story. The actual election year is still 3 days away. At this rate the campaign's for 2012 will be kicking off before Inauguration Day (January 20, 2009). Someone get me some aspirin.

9. IMMIGRATION DEBATE: A compromise immigration plan, backed by President Bush and Democratic leaders, collapsed in Congress due to Republican opposition. The plan would have enabled millions of illegal immigrants to move toward citizenship, while also bolstering border security. The issues remained alive in the presidential campaign.

For me the story here is how useless Congress has been in 2007. I remember how folks thought that things would be different after the Democrats won control of Congress in the 2006 elections. What a disappointment.

10. IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM: Worried that the ultimate goal is a nuclear arsenal, the United States and other countries pressed Iran to halt uranium enrichment. Iran said it never had a weapons program. A U.S. intelligence report concluded there was such an effort, but it stopped in 2003.

A fascinating list to be sure not just for what made the top ten, but for those stories that didn't. Not a single mention of the ongoing conflicts in Africa (take your pick; sadly there are many to choose from). Nothing on the the crackdown by the junta in Myanmar either. And what about Pakistan and Afghanistan. I seem to recall that the war on terrorism was initially waged in Afghanistan with the objective of capturing Osama Bin Laden. Last I heard, dude was still free. On the bright side, the absence of any tabloid headliners from this list--Anna Nicole Smith, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears--gives me a glimmer of hope that there is still some sanity in the world. Though, for all the headlines that she made this year, you have to think that Britney came awfully close to making the list.

If you think about it, we invaded Iraq because we thought they had a weapons program too--of course, back then we called them 'weapons of mass destruction.' I suppose we should be thankful that Bush decided not to invade Iran as well. I guess there is an upside to having a depleted military, after all.

Quote of the Year - Miss Teen South Carolina Lauren Caitlin Upton, third-runner-up in the Miss Teen USA pageant, was asked the following question at the Miss Teen USA pageant, "Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do you think this is?"

This was her answer: "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps, and, uh, I believe that our education, like such as in South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere, like, such as. And I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, or, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future for our children."

If anyone was in need of a scholarship, this broad gets my vote. The surprising thing is that she actually got third runner-up. What does that say about the standards we have for education?

I'll be back with some more insights on 2007 tomorrow.