TOP 10 STORIES OF 2010

It’s that time again — time for the OK WASSUP! annual look at the top stories that captured our attention during the year.  Did we leave anything out?  If so, feel free to add your own in the comments section below.

TOP 10 STORIES OF 2010:

10.)  DADT REPEALED –   It was 17 years in the making, but President Obama accomplished what President Clinton couldn’t — the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”  Within a few months, the controversial law which bans gay and lesbian service members from serving openly in the military will be officially put to rest, opening the door for Americans of any sexual preference to risk their lives in service to their country.

9.)  TSA TRAVEL RULES –  In light of heightened threat levels and the potential for terrorists to utilize more sophisticated explosive devices, such as a shoe or underwear bomb, the TSA introduced full body scanners to an already weary traveling public. Passengers balked at having to submit to a virtual strip search, which basically created naked images of their bodies for TSA officials to see underneath clothing.  Oh, and the promise was that none of the images could be saved or used for later viewing.  Yeah, right!  —>

8.)  PASSAGES –   Several notable names from the world of politics and entertainment were lost in 2010. Among the more prominent names are:  Sen. Robert Byrd; Elizabeth Edwards; Ambassador Richard Holbrooke; Vice-President Joe Biden’s mother, Mrs. Catherine Eugenia Biden;  NY Yankees owner George Steinbrenner;  Actor Gary Coleman;  Actor Dennis Hopper;  Actor John Forsythe;  Soul singer Teddy Pendergrass; “Golden Girls” Actress Rue McClanahan; “Leave It To Beaver” Actress Barbara Billingsley;  Actor Tony Curtis;  Actor Tom Bosley, “Naked Gun” Actor Leslie Nielsen; R&B Singer Teena Marie; and the incomparable Miss Lena Horne.

7.)  BISHOP EDDIE LONG –   He’s the pastor of a 20,000 member mega-church in Atlanta.  He preaches an anti-homosexual message.  He mentors young boys and girls to… ahem… make them better adults.  Oh, and he sends out suspect photos of himself, wearing tight-fitting spandex, to young teen aged boys in his congregation. Now he’s been accused multiple times of using his money and position of power to molest several of these young boys who were handpicked for his personal flock.

It was one of the most shocking stories of 2010 and one that Bishop Eddie Long vowed to fight to the end (although he never claimed guilt or innocence).  Except, only a few weeks ago, Long directed his attorneys to strike a deal with his accusers, offering each of them a huge payday in exchange for preventing a potentially embarrassing public trial from ever reaching any courtroom. Hmmm…

6.)  CONAN FIRED/JAY RE-HIRED –   Jay Leno retired from “The Tonight Show” in 2009, paving the way for his waiting-in-the-wings successor, Conan O’Brien.  But after a mere 9 months with Conan as the new host, NBC pulled a 360, fired Conan and re-hired Jay.  It was the start of World War III in the late night wars, which prompted viewers to take sides and invent the “Team Coco” movement.  It was also an incredibly stupid and costly public relations debacle for NBC.

5.)  LeBRON JAMES –   The self-proclaimed “King James” was the franchise star of a once struggling Cleveland Cavaliers NBA team, and the bread and butter for a once struggling inner city. But the King abandoned his kingdom in an overly hyped live TV special, opting in free agency to take his “talents to South Beach.”  Although many sports analysts assumed James might bolt from his original team, no one predicted he’d be so low as to “break up” the relationship with Cleveland on national television.  James went from being one of the most beloved and bankable players in the history of sports, to perhaps one of the most hated and despised players in the history of sports — all in one night!

4.)  9/11 MOSQUE/QURAN BURNING –   2010 was the year Muslim developers decided the time was right to remodel their already existing Mosque, which happened to be only a few blocks from the site of the 9/11 attacks and came to be known as the “Ground Zero” Mosque.  But a leery and emotional public could not separate the Muslim extremists who caused 9/11 from the innocent Muslim-Americans who had been using the prayer site in lower Manhattan for some time.  The end result caused numerous protests and threats against the Mosque, which also thrust a small-time Florida pastor into the middle of the controversy.

Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, threatened to burn a copy of the Holy Quran (the Muslim Bible) on the anniversary of 9/11, unless the NYC Mosque near Ground Zero was moved. Fearing worldwide backlash from Muslim extremists who’ve been itching for the U.S. to be baited into a fight, the U.S. State Department and even President Obama personally phoned Pastor Jones urging him to reconsider.  Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and the burning did not take place.  Currently, the Mosque is also considering a relocation.

3.)  BP OIL SPILL –   It was the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.  A British Petroleum explosion sank a drilling rig, killed 11 men instantly and began a disaster that jeopardized the livelihoods of fishermen, hotel and restaurant workers, and nearby residents.  For 5 months, oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico, crippling the area and killing most sea life.  Although the oil stopped flowing in September, parts of the region are still devastated, with some areas permanently damaged.

2.)  HAITI EARTHQUAKE –   Hospitals, houses, schools, roads and grocery stores all collapsed in an instant. Food, water, electricity, medical supplies and shelter were basically non-existent.  Dead bodies lied unattended and rotting in the streets.  It was the devastating scene of a 7.0 earthquake which hit the island nation of Port-au-Prince in January, prompting the world to respond with aid and rescue.

1.)  CHILEAN MINERS –   It was a made for TV disaster that was anything but a fictional movie. For weeks, the world held their breath as the fate of 33 miners trapped several miles underground in a Chilean mine was on the brink.  The 33 men were prisoner to the mine for 2 whole months, forced to create a structured society within the confines of a 24 hour darkened tomb for any hope of their survival.  But miraculously, all 33 miners were rescued safely, in one of the most heroic and feel good stories of all time!

OTHER STORIES OF HONORABLE MENTION:

• The Blizzard of 2010
• Tiger Woods and wife split
• “I am not a witch” – Christine O’Donnell
• Jet Blue flight attendant slides down emergency chute
• Shirley Sherrod fired from Dept. of Agriculture
• iPhone 4 troubles
• “LOST” the TV series ends
• Times Square bomb plot
• Ricky Martin acknowledges he’s gay
• Death at the Winter Olympics