2008: A Look Back

Before I begin my look back at the year now ending,I want to wish everybody a happy,healthy,and prosperous New Year. God bless you.

Here are my picks for the biggest stories of 2008 in different categories:

Biggest news stories:

1.Barack Obama's historic election as the first African American President of the United States.
2. Republican Presidential nominee John McCain picks Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. Governor Palin is only the second woman to be the Vice Presidential nominee of a major political party, after Democrat Geraldine Ferraro,who ran with Walter Mondale in 1984. Governor Palin has been mentioned as a possible Presidential candidate in 2012.
3. The financial disarray in the credit,financial, and housing markets.
4. Bailouts of Wall Street and the U.S. auto industry.
5.Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich faces possible impeachment and prosecution for allegedly trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Obama.
6.Pain at the gas pump though gas prices fell significantly by year's end .
7. The U.S. and the industrialized world enter recession.
8.Terrorist attacks in Mumbai,India.
9.Hurricane Ike affects Gulf coast.


Biggest sports stories:

1.Michael Phelps wins a record number of gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.
2.Jimmie Johnson wins his third consecutive Sprint Cup championship in NASCAR.
3.Tyler Hansbrough becomes the all-time leading men's basketball scorer at the University of North Carolina.
4.Tony Stewart leaves Joe Gibbs Racing to start his own team,Stewart/Haas Racing. Stewart names Ryan Newman as his Sprint Cup teammate.
5.Phillip Fulmer is fired as head football coach at the University of Tennessee after the Volunteers have a losing football season. Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin is hired to replace Fulmer.

People to whom we said goodbye :

Some prominent obituaries of 2008

Charlton Heston,Cyd Charisse,Eartha Kitt, Van Johnson,Beverly Garland,Harvey Korman,
Jesse Helms,Paul Weyrich,Tim Russert,Paul Newman,Richard Widmark,Michael Crichton,Estelle Getty,Dody Goodman,Isaac Hayes,Jerry Reed,Dick Martin,Roy Schieder,Bo Diddley,Suzanne Pleshette .

Farewell,Mr.Newman

Last Friday,we lost a great actor,a humanitarian,a gentleman,and a wonderful human being with the passing of Paul Newman. Mr.Newman was an Oscar-winning actor who delivered many brilliant performances. His best remembered roles include playing a convict in "Cool Hand Luke",his role in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid",in which he co-starred with his pal Robert Redford,and co-starred with Redford in "The Sting". Mr.Newman also delivered what was regarded by many as a powerful performance in "The Verdict".

Another thing and perhaps more importantly,what Mr.Newman will be well remembered for is his charitable contributions. 100 percent of the proceeds from his Newman's Own food products went to charity,most notably the Hole In The Wall Gang camps,one of which is the Petty family's NASCAR themed Victory Junction Gang Camp in North Carolina, which was a dream of Adam Petty,a young NASCAR driver who perished in an on-track accident in 2000. Adam was a son of Kyle Petty,grandson of Richard Petty,and great-grandson of Lee Petty,all NASCAR drivers. VJGC opened in 2004 and now a second camp is planned in Kansas.

Mr.Newman was a lifelong racing fan and owned a racing team. He enjoyed associating with drivers and other team owners. He was also a devoted family man,married to actress Joanne Woodward for 50 years. Rest in peace,Paul Newman,and God bless you.