2004 Year in Review

 Highlights

• FSC Director's conference in Paris January 6-9, 2004 followed by FMO conference in London January 12-16.  Jeffrey accompanied me on this trip.  Superior honor award presented by the Comptroller, Chris Burnham.

 

• Worked with the American Battle Monuments Commission to begin payrolling their staff.

• Inter Agency meetings and USDO conference in March.

• Weekly conference calls at 9:00 p.m. EST with FSC/Bangkok.

• Continual efforts to convert not only FSN payroll but disbursing by Electronic Funds Transfers as opposed to checks.   

• Meetings with U.S. Treasury in June on Government Wide Accounting, Electronic Payments.   

• In July and August started participating in the committee meetings in Washington to review proposals from companies for the new Employee Travel System (ETS) which led to the award of the contract to Carlson-Wagon-Lit and the E2 program.  

• Spearheaded major revisions to the Foreign Affairs Manual and Handbook (4 FAM and 4 FAH). 

• Tim Wildy, OIG Management Inspector consultations September 23rd and lunch at Aunt Bea's in North Charleston.   Tim is still working with OIG/ISP as a senior level inspector. 

• Ongoing meetings with Citibank on banking services for overseas embassies.

• Continued conference calls with Treasury.

Favorite Memories:

• Jeffrey and I in London attended a Queen concert.

• Learning to Shag dance at Pivots Beach Club in West Ashley.  Meeting the owner Harriet Grady.  Also, Steve Miller and his girlfriend Becky.  Eventually learned that Steve was living in the same neighborhood, Ivy Hall, as Doris.  

• Wild weekend nights at the Soda Water Grill on Daniel Island singing Karaoke provided by Aaron's Productions. 

• Winter league tennis with the Viagra Boys.

• JR's Sports Bar Belle Hall Shopping Center Sunday afternoon football to watch the 49'ers. 

• Reception at Mills House for new FMOs. March 7.  Interagency conference followed by USDO meeting March 8-12.

• Got involved with Toastmasters but didn't last after a few months.  Just couldn't get into it. 

• Started volunteering as an usher at the annual major WTA tennis Family Circle Cup tournament in April that  2004 saw Venus Williams defeat Conchita Martinez 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.   Also, Virginia Pascual and Paola Suarez defeated Martina Navratilova and Lisa Raymond in doubles.

• Went out to California May 21st to attend nephew Greg's wedding.

U.S. Events:

• Bush proposes ambitious space program that includes flights to the Moon, Mars, and beyond (Jan. 14).
• U.S. media release graphic photos of American soldiers abusing and sexually humiliating Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison. Images spark outrage around the world (April 30).
• Gay marriages begin in Massachusetts, the first state in the country to legalize such unions (May 17).
• Senate Intelligence Committee reports that intelligence on Iraq's weapons programs was "overstated" and flawed (July 5).
• Democratic National Convention in Boston nominates John Kerry for president (July 26–29).
• Pentagon-sponsored Schlesinger report rejects idea that Abu Ghraib prison abuse was work of a few aberrant soldiers, and asserts there were "fundamental failures throughout all levels of command" (Aug. 24).
• Republican Convention in New York nominates President Bush (Aug. 30–Sept. 2).
• Florida hit by hurricanes Bonnie (Aug. 12) and Charley (Aug. 13).
• Congress extends tax cuts due to expire at the end of 2005 (Sept. 23).
• Hurricane Ivan ravages U.S. south (Sept. 15). Hurricane Jeanne hits Florida (Sept. 26).
• George W. Bush is reelected president, defeats John Kerry (Nov. 2).
• Sept. 11 commission harshly criticizes government’s handling of terrorist attacks (July 22).
• U.S.’s final report on Iraq’s weapons finds no WMDs (Sept. 16).

World Events:

• A. Q. Khan, founder of Pakistan's nuclear program, admits he sold nuclear-weapons designs to other countries, including North Korea, Iran, and Libya (Feb. 4).
• Armed rebels in Haiti force President Aristide to resign and flee the country (Feb. 29).
• Spain's governing Popular Party loses election to opposition Socialists. Outcome seen as a reaction to terrorist attacks days before and Popular Party's support of the U.S.-led war in Iraq (March 14).
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formally admits 7 new countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia (March 29).
• Israeli prime minister Sharon announces plan to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza Strip (April 12).
• Greek Cypriots reject UN reunification plan with Turkish Cypriots (April 24).
• Sudan rebels (SPLA) and government reach accord to end 21-year civil war. However, separate war in western Darfur region between Arab militias and black Africans continues unabated (May 26).
• U.S. troops launch offensive in Falluja in response to killing and mutilation on March 31 of four U.S. civilian contractors. (April 5–May 1).
• U.S. hands over power to Iraqi interim government; Iyad Allawi becomes prime minister (June 28).
• Security Council demands Sudanese government disarm militias in Darfur that are massacring civilians (July 30).
• Summer Olympics take place in Athens, Greece (Aug. 13–29).
• Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez survives recall referendum (Aug. 16).
• Chechen terrorists take about 1,200 schoolchildren and others hostage in Beslan, Russia; 340 people die when militant detonate explosives (Sept. 1–3).
• UN Atomic Energy Agency tells Iran to stop enriching uranium; a nascent nuclear weapons program suspected (Sept. 18).
• About 380 tons of explosives reported missing in Iraq (Oct. 25).
• Yasir Arafat dies in Paris (Nov. 11).
• U.S. troops launch attack on Falluja, stronghold of the Iraqi insurgency (Nov. 8).
• Ukraine presidential election declared fraudulent (Nov. 21).
• Hamid Karzai inaugurated as Afghanistan's first popularly elected president (Dec. 7).
• Massive protests by supporters of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko's lead to a new Ukrainian election; Yushchenko eventually declared prime minister (Dec. 26).

Movies:

" The Lord of the Rings:  Return of the King" won the Oscar for best picture at the 78h Academy Awards.   Sean Penn won lead actor award for "Mystic River”, and the lead actress Oscar went to Charlize Theron "Monster".  Rene Zellweger,  "Cold Mountain" and Tim Robbins, "Mystic River" won for supporting actress and supporting actor.  Directing Peter Jackson, "Lord of the Rings:  Return of the King"

Super Bowl:

Super Bowl XXXVIII the New England Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 32–29. Game.   At the time, this was the most watched Super Bowl ever with 144.4 million viewers.

The Panthers were making their first ever Super Bowl appearance after posting an 11–5 regular season record. They also made it the second straight year that a team from the NFC South division made the Super Bowl, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning Super Bowl XXXVII. The Patriots were seeking their second Super Bowl title in three years after posting a 14–2 record.  The game was scoreless for a Super Bowl record 26:55 before the two teams combined for 24 points prior to halftime. The clubs then combined for a Super Bowl record 37 points in the fourth quarter. The contest was finally decided when the Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri's 41-yard field goal was made with four seconds left. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time in his career.

The game is also known for its controversial halftime show in which Janet Jackson's breast, adorned with a nipple shield, was exposed by Justin Timberlake for about half a second, in what was later referred to as a "wardrobe malfunction". [7] Along with the rest of the halftime show, it led to an immediate crackdown by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and widespread debate on perceived indecency in broadcasting. 

World Series

The 100th edition of the World Series, it was between the American League champion Boston Red Sox and the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals; the Red Sox swept the Cardinals in four games. The Red Sox's World Series championship was their first since 1918.  

Mark Bellhorn helped the Red Sox win with a home run, while starter Curt Schilling led the team to a game two victory by pitching six innings and allowing just one run. The Red Sox won the first two games despite committing four errors in each. The Red Sox won game three, aided by seven shutout innings by Pedro Martínez. A home run by Johnny Damon in the first inning helped to win game four for the Red Sox to secure the series. The Cardinals did not lead in any of the games in the series. Manny Ramírez was named the series' Most Valuable Player.