2015 Was a Miserable Year

By Jeralyn, Section Colorado News
Posted on Fri Jan 01, 2016 at 03:14:51 PM EST
Tags: 2015 (all tags)

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Looking back at the news during 2015, it was a year that sucked big-time, around the world.

Here's a few examples, with just a few of the dozens of graphics I used throughout the year. Feel free to add your own events (mine is just a partial list), or disagree. Just stay on topic -- it's a list of bad things that happened in 2015, not a place to debate specifics or rehash evidence. [More...]

Indonesia executes foreign drug offenders

San Bernadino Killings, Paris Attacks, Russian plane crash in Egypt,
Tsarnaev sentenced to death
Kim Dotcom Extradition approved in New Zealand
Oscar Pistorius' Conviction Upgraded to Murder
Alan Dershowitz v. Jane Doe and dueling defamation suits
Mexico and Escape of El Chapo: Corruption, Incompetence or both?

Mission creep in Iraq and Syria (and Libya and more to come). Overblown fear of homeland attacks.

Increased use of targeted killings
U.S. continues to waste money on failed war on drugs

Donald Trump leads among uninspiring Republican field of candidates

Uninspired, boring U.S. television seasons. 300 stations and nothing's on. If January's season is no better, it may be time to cord-cut. Forcing viewers to pay for networks we never watch should be so last year. Let us pick and pay for the networks we want. It's time to end blocking shows by geography. Providing English translations of foreign shows that air in the U.S. should be mandatory, just like close captioning.

Media ratchets up abuse of internet with incessant auto-play video, pop-up ads and other annoying trends.

Again, feel free to add to the list, or disagree with my selections. Just don't hijack the thread into a lengthy debate regarding the nuances of any particularly item. The topic is whether 2015 was a good or bad year.

< Merry New Years Eve Open Thread | New Year's Open Thread >

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2015 Was a Miserable Year | 16 comments (16 topical)

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The 2016 presidential election campaign (5.00 / 5) (#2)
by Anne on Fri Jan 01, 2016 at 04:58:29 PM EST

is going to be a huge drag on the year, in my opinion; as bad as it's been so far, I think it's going to get much worse.

: Just watching a bit (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Jan 01, 2016 at 05:33:14 PM EST

Of FOX News. Not sure why but I think my IQ just dropped 10 points. Anyway, there was a long "in depth" piece questioning if Donald can win a general election.
It will almost certainly be an interesting year. In the Chinese sense.

: Look at the bright side (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by Repack Rider on Sat Jan 02, 2016 at 07:59:39 AM EST

The GOP and related SuperPACs are going to pump a billion or so into the economy, even though the law of diminishing returns is laughing its a$$ off.
The effect will be magnified by where they spend it. They are not going to spend much in states like California and New York, where there is no chance for the GOP to collect the electoral votes.
They will spend yuuuge in Florida and Ohio, swing states with juicy electoral totals. The big money spent there will artificially inflate the state economies for the next ten months, and make it hard to argue that the locals are not doing well.
In that respect, the unlimited spending made possible by the Citizens United decision seems to be backfiring. Who could ever have guessed? Maybe C-U is a blessing in disguise for the Dems, taking money out of off-shore accounts and pumping it back into the economy, draining billionaire coffers (they won't miss it anyway) of more money than the taxes they are spending so much to avoid.

I agree. A pretty terrible year in the world. (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by shoephone on Fri Jan 01, 2016 at 05:10:20 PM EST

My takeaway: humans just don't care enough about other humans anymore. There's a growing disassociation from and disconnect between "us" and "them".

I dunno (5.00 / 2) (#6)
by jbindc on Sat Jan 02, 2016 at 11:22:55 AM EST

2015 had some pretty good moments too

Bill Gates names his Top 6

It was a great year for me (none / 0) (#7)
by Militarytracy on Sat Jan 02, 2016 at 03:25:13 PM EST

How so (none / 0) (#8)
by lentinel on Sun Jan 03, 2016 at 09:38:56 AM EST

MT?


Everything (5.00 / 6) (#9)
by Militarytracy on Mon Jan 04, 2016 at 12:10:15 AM EST

My husband's last deployment, my son's last Veptr surgery. I finally got to have actual vacations. All of my free time and my son's used to see us on the road to Emory for surgeries.

Life finally began again for me in 2015. And everything continues to fall into place. My life has become much more peaceful and joyful.


that's great to hear (5.00 / 2) (#10)
by Jeralyn on Mon Jan 04, 2016 at 01:38:47 AM EST

you have been through a lot.

I have always loved the word "joyful" -- it says so much than "happy."


: Thank you Jeralyn and all of TL (none / 0) (#12)
by Militarytracy on Mon Jan 04, 2016 at 09:04:58 AM EST

I think the worst years of my life will likely remain the Iraq War yrs. I still marvel that George W Bush can show his face. He got so many people maimed and killed for nothing, and ISIS and Syrian refugees are a direct by product of his actions as our Commander in Chief.
My focus has shifted to what we must do now for all the survivors.
The net gave me a place to speak out, and TL gave me friends who could consider and appreciate the multifaceted and sometimes precarious position many who served and their families were pushed into. I didn't have to keep it all inside. And that has led me more swiftly to peace and joy that isn't of the numb or delusional kind :)

Good for Josh (5.00 / 2) (#11)
by CaptHowdy on Mon Jan 04, 2016 at 08:30:25 AM EST

Bless his heart.


: He has come into full teenagerhood too (none / 0) (#13)
by Militarytracy on Mon Jan 04, 2016 at 09:14:03 AM EST

He's healthy enough to give me a hard :) He is a great travel buddy though. So funny, my husband balks at flying Space Available but Josh is ready to try it this summer with me. We might never come home.

I've had better years (5.00 / 2) (#14)
by CST on Mon Jan 04, 2016 at 10:26:32 AM EST

But I've definitely had worse years (looking at you 2009).

This was a bit of an atonement year for me, for the financial sins of my past. It wasn't necessarily fun, but at the end of the year I'm in much better shape than I was at the beginning of the year. Although I've taken a few months off from having a second job, and it's probably time to buck up and start that back up again.

As far as the rest of the world goes, 2015 was alright. We've definitely had worse global years as well. I'd say I'm cautiously optimistic about 2016, both for myself and the world. Things are positive but precarious, and the safety net is small.

I Think Most of Your List... (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by ScottW714 on Mon Jan 04, 2016 at 01:02:02 PM EST

...is ongoing and isn't tied to 2015.

Indonesia will continue to kill, the Presidential race just got started, good chance El Chapo will get caught and escape again, and the war on drugs marches on.

I would add mass shootings and police killings to the list if they don't have to be tied to a particular year. in 2015, 353 mass shooting in the US that left 457 people dead and 1317 wounded. Police killed 1324 people and 129 officers will killed in the line of duty. The US's longest streak without a mass shooting was 48 hours, and was ended in San Berardino.

I would list the Paris attacks, Charleston racial shooting, Russian plane crash, Germanwings suicide crash in the Alps, San Bernardino, Balitmore, Alison Parker and Adam Ward killed reporting on live TV, we were at war in the Middle East with no war resolution, middle class no longer the majority, Syrian refuges, Afghan hospital bombing, Jared, Hassert, Volkswagon, Josh Duggar, Cobsy, Brady, ISIS, and Trump.

Good things, gay marriage, the climate, Cuba, Pluto, unemployment, gas prices, Caitlyn, SpaceX rocket landing, and the escalation of our involvement in the ME bombing.

For me is was a wash, leaning closer to good than bad, and a whole lot of mediocrity. No one tells you when you grow up and act like an adult, life gets so boring. The Packers closed the year out with the same, mediocrity.

: yes (none / 0) (#16)
by CST on Mon Jan 04, 2016 at 01:38:36 PM EST

"No one tells you when you grow up and act like an adult, life gets so boring."
I'll never forget a few years ago, I was waiting tables, and a friend of mine looked over and just said "this is it, we're going to be working for the rest of our adult lives". Yes, yes we are. Unfortunately, since then she's developed a heroin problem in an attempt to make it not so boring.
I don't do very well with boring. But then, I'm not that great at being an adult yet, which is why I spent the last year in financial atonement.

Hover boards (none / 0) (#1)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Jan 01, 2016 at 04:22:47 PM EST

Marty McFly-2015 kinda sucked

You have to watch an ad.

Welcome to the future.