2014 in Review- December

And finally, it was over. The final month of the year arrived without the fanfare, or the excitement of other years, in no small part because I was sick as a dog. Once I managed to get out of bed though, it was a productive month. A Washington, D.C. trip lead to Senator Dodd's annual Christmas Party which was great, as usual. I took a trip to Arlington Cemetery, got re-inspired, and then came home. I took my first trip to the PPL Center to see the Phantoms, and also dealt with the shock of seeing one of my favorite Phillies, Jimmy Rollins, get traded to the Dodgers. Finally the holidays arrived, and so did the gifts and food, and well... we're here. So here's the moments:

• Elizabeth Lauten was forced to resign her communications director job with a Congressman on Capitol Hill after attacking the President's daughters.
• After a House Intelligence Committee report shot down the entire fake Benghazi scandal, Rand Paul went fringer lunatic and said it was garbage.
• Much like in Ferguson, Eric Garner's killer, a police officer in Staten Island, was not indicted for killing him, setting off protests in New York and around the nation.
• The Eagles went 1-3 in December and missed the playoffs at 10-6.
• The Sixers avoided an 0-18 start by one game, keeping out of the record books for that.
• Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State, and Oregon made college football's first D-1 playoff.
• The Phillies traded all-time hits leader Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers for two minor league pitchers.
• The "torture report" let us know that our government did things like force food up people's rectum. For real.
• Elizabeth Warren inspired the left with her fight against a spending bill that rolled back Dodd-Frank banking rules.
• We also, coincidentally came within hours of a government shutdown.
• Kobe Bryant passed Michael Jordan to become the third leading scorer of all-time.
• I did an interview with AdAge about how we use data on modern campaigns.
• Green Day was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall-of-Fame.
• Jeb Bush is running for President.
• Philadelphia DA Seth Williams indicted two State Representatives in connection to a corruption sting.
• President Obama took actions to protect Alaska's Bristol Bay.
• Russia went into a full-blown recession over a huge drop in oil prices.
• Senator Tom Coburn blocked a veterans benefit bill just to say he did it.
• A cafe in Sydney, Australia was seized by a crazed gunman. Australians reacted by bonding further with their Muslim brothers and sisters.
• President Obama takes steps to normalize relations with Cuba, including opening an embassy.
• Sony was hacked, which prompted it to pull-down it's opening of "The Interview" movie, and then go back on their own decision after criticisms of them stung too much.
• The Tampa Bay Rays were turned down for a new ballpark by St. Petersburg, their current home.
• The Colbert Report aired for the final time with a star-studded cast.
• Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were killed in Brooklyn, NY by an anti-police lunatic.
• NASA tests the rocket that will take us to Mars, they hope.
• U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was exposed for having spoken to a white nationalist group.
• 2014 came to an end on a Wednesday Night at 11:59 pm.