A collection of some of the biggest and best happenings of 2004. The year 2004 was bittersweet all around. It was a year of tremendous political awareness and activity, and also a year of setbacks.

Dennis Kucinich speaks at the March 20th, 2004 anti-war protest in NYC

The anti-war movement continued to be a force in 2004, including the marches in New York and around the world on March 20th, the one year anniversary of the illegal invasion of Iraq. Millions marched around the world in opposition to the war mongering and fear tactics of the White House.

The March for Women’s Lives also had an incredible turn-out in Washington, DC, on April 25th. Over one million marched - the largest crowd ever for a women’s rights rally in the nation’s capitol.

This year the Republican National Convention was conveniently held in NYC - as late as possible to take advantage of the 3rd anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks. But the real story was outside the convention center. Here, once again, hundreds of thousands took to the streets in opposition to the overtly imperialistic policies of the Republican Party.

Despite the effort put out by leftists the nation over, the Republicans kept control of the White House, and reinforced their strangehold on Congress. Karl Rove and the Republican spin machine were the real winners on November 2nd, having successfully spun a failed war, a failed economy, and a failed presidency - creating the illusion that what we have now was better than the alternative. The Democrats played into this perfectly. John Kerry - the “most electable” candidate - hemmed and hawed his way into the loser’s circle. The election was not decided by issues; issues like unemployment, a hemorrhaging economy, massive debt, unwinnable wars and the loss of any goodwill we might have once had from the international community. Instead, the election was decided with the new phrase “flip-flop,” and the old standby - “liberal.”

Kerry, a war veteran with three purple hearts and a silver star, had his war record turned against him by a man who went AWOL from the Louisiana National Guard.

The loss on November, 2nd, disheartened many and will likely swing the Democratic Party further right. But those truly committed are still such, and this only re-affirms the need for a viable third party that represents what the left truly stands for. Bush has made his bed, and now he’s doomed to lay in it for the next four years.

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Maria Full of Grace was an excellent movie I first saw previews for last year at about this time, I believe when I saw Dirty Pretty Things. It certainly didn’t disappoint, painting a harrowing tale of a girl in Columbia trying to find a better life. She eventually decides to become a drug mule, and it simply continues from there. The directing was great, as was the acting. Keep an eye out for Catalina Sandino Moreno - an amazing performance for her first role.

Garden State had another first - it was Zach Braff’s directing debut. And a great debut it was. Zach Braff, better known for his role on Scrubs (quite possibly the first decent show on NBC since Freaks & Geeks), creates an engrossing tale which takes place in New Jersey. And really, don’t we need more movies that take place in New Jersey? I saw this one in the theater folks, and if you know how often I pay to go to the theater (two or three times a year), you’d know that meant something. Awesome movie.

Good News For People Who Love Bad News is an awesome album, despite all the posers who spout off about how Modest Mouse ’sold out’ and how they ‘listened to Modest Mouse before they sold out,’ etcetera.* Posturing gets you nowhere, and everyone ultimately knows this is a great album. Sure, Float On may get too much radio play, but just be glad the radio is playing something you can stand, for a change. 2004 also has an honorable mention for all of the alt bands that were able to stick around and make decent music in the face of alt’s new-found trendiness.

Nirvana’s With The Lights Out box set came out just in time for the consumer whore-fest that is the holiday season. And we were glad. Three discs of rarities, b-sides and demos make my saliva glands sore. Throw in a DVD and you have quite the box set on your hands. Don’t tell me it doesn’t make you hot.

Other notables of 2004:
• Janet Jackson showed her booby on tv, causing international outrage. No, wait, hold that thought - outrage among a few select old white guys.
• Peaches’ album The Teaches of Peaches
• Massive Attack’s soundtrack to Danny the Dog
• Reagan died, and I had to hear about how wonderful he was.
• Ol’ Dirty Bastard died, and I felt a lot worse than I did after Reagan.
• Johnny Ramone died, but I didn’t hear about it until weeks afterwards.
• I switched my party affiliation to Democratic, to vote for Kucinich in the primaries, and have been regretting it ever since.
• John Stewart’s America: The Book captivates audiences. Heck, I even bought it.
• Michael Moore does his bit this election year with Fahrenheit 9/11, and alternatively pisses me off / makes my heart warm and fuzzy. Following the release of his film, conservative spin machine works overtime.
• O’Reilly sued for sexual harassment, proves something I’ve known for a long time (He’s a creep.)
• O’Reilly also goes straight to the kids with his indoctrination, proving something I’ve known for a long time (creep.)
• Limbaugh caught making his housekeeper buy Oxycontin on the street. Wait, that didn’t happen in 2004? Who gives a shit? It’s hilarious! (“The answer is to go out and find the ones who are getting away with it, convict them and send them up the river, too.” - Limbaugh circa ‘95)
• Dangerous criminal Martha Stewart enters prison, entire board of Enron walks free (and keeps in touch with Cheney!)
• Halliburton wastes in Iraq (the no-bid contracts seem to be working out great!) Bush tells them to “please stop.”
• Soldiers not given adequate shielding or equipment, this is blamed either on Clinton or Kerry, when appropriate.
• Sudan gets worse, horrible tsunami in the Indian Ocean, plague, disease and starvation continue around the globe.
• Janet Jackson fucking exposed her breast!

What a year folks, what a year. And this is just what popped into my head. I should of thought a bit more before making a “look back on 2004″ post. But oh well. C’est la vie..

:king:

* I listened to them before they were big too, so screw you.