Wait...What Now??!!

It's been a long time since I've had mail sent to an American address.  I can't tell you the last time I watched t.v.  I have no clue how to operate an ipad.  I don't know what's happening in the presidential race for 2012.  There's a lot of things that I have missed over the past four years while serving with PC.  As a fun way to document just how long I've been a PCV, I've created the following list.  It includes technological advances, political changes, pop culture references etc that have all happened/taken place while I've been a PCV.  So when I come home and I don't know who the new boy band is that everyone is listening to, don't laugh.  Ignorance is bliss right?

Technological Advances
-ipad created
-itouch created
-Mac air created
-e-readers came out
-electric cigarettes
-Twitter (not sure if  this should go here or in pop culture but....)
-Google+
-Smart phones (what makes it so smart?  I don't know)
-Cars can now parallel park themselves (where was that when I was learning to drive?)
-Students now have tablets in schools to take notes, borrow books etc...

Politics
-Barack Obama elected president
-Sudan broke into Sudan and South Sudan
-Kosovo was recognized as a country
-Arab Spring swept the Middle East and North Africa
-New government was created in Tunisia
-Gadafi was killed leading to....
-New government in Libya
-New government in Egypt
-New government in Bahrain
-New government in Lebanon
-Occupy Wall Street Movement
-Tea Party became popular
-Wisconsin elected a republican governor (WTF??!!!)
-Russia invaded Georgia (the country, not the state for my non-geographically inclined friends)
-Gay marriage became legal in several states
-US troops left Iraq
-Greek national debt leading to riots and protests
-Don't Ask, Don't Tell repealed
-Illegal immigration laws causing controversy mainly in the south
-Birth Control and Viagra controversy
-EU economic crisis
-Osama bin Laden is killed by US forces
-London riots
-Russia elections where Putin declares himself the winner....again
-Internet Piracy Act controversy
-Moroccan constitutional reform
-the hijab became illegal in France
-Co'up in Mali
-North Korea doing nuclear missals test
-Mynammar ends military rule
-Chinese activist Chen escapes house arrest in China
-President Obama supports gay marriage
-Syria revolt
-John Edwards going on trial
-Congresswomen's use of the word 'vagina' controversy
-Sarah Palin resigned as Governor of Alaska
-Obamacare
-Bangkok protests/riots
-Kim Jung Soon died leaving North Korea in his son's hands
-Auto industry bailout in America
-Chief of IMF scandal

Pop Culture
-Will and Kate married
-Prince Albert of Monaco married
-Crown Princess of Sweden married
-Glee swept the nation
-Community was cancelled and came back
-Modern Family started airing
-Vampire fever hit with things such as Twilight and True Blood
-Harry Potter saga ended
-Harry Potter amusement park was created
-Michael Jackson died
-Whitney Houston died
-Patrick Swayze died
-Farrah Faucet died
-Brittany Murphy died
-Elizabeth Taylor died
-Steve Jobs died
-Amy Winehouse died
-Kim Kardashian married and divorced in 72 days
-Oprah, Law and Order, Desperate Housewives and House all ended
-Girl with the Dragoon Tattoo series
-The Hunger Games series
-Justin Bieber
-Justin Bieber accused of fathering a child
-Lindsay Lohan spirals out of control and lands in rehab.... more than once
-Kony 2012 campaign
-Jon and Kate divorced
-Planking
-Wikileaks
-Chris Brown beat Rihanna but now they're back together
-Brad and Angelina are finally engaged!
-Teen Mom makes teenage pregnancy 'glamorous' but one teen Mom lands in jail.... more than once
-Octomom became Octomom and is now thinking about doing porn to earn money
-Facebook went public
-The Duggards had baby 18, 19 and 20 who they sadly lost
-Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes divorce
-Arnold Schwarzenegger and wife divorce
-John Travolta is accused of being gay
-Lady Gaga cancels her concert in Indonesia because she is accused of being a devil worshiper
-Casey Anthony not guilty of killing her daughter
-Amanda Know acquitted in the killing of her British roommate
-10 year anniversary of 9/11
-Trayvon Martin case
-Paula Deen has diabetes

Sports
-2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing
-Michael Phelps wins 8 medals at Beijing Olympics
-Brett Favre retires, comes out of retirement and retires again
-Brett Favre leaves the Packers, goes to the Jets and is the worst traitor in history by then going to the Vikings
-2010 Winter Olympics in Torino
-World Cup 2010 where Spain beats the Netherlands for the win
-Packers won the 2011 superbowl
-NBA lockout
-Penn State basketball coach abuse scandal

Natural Disasters
-hurricane in Haiti
-tsunami in Japan
-volcano eruption in Iceland
-Global Warming on the rise
-tornadoes in the Midwest in 2010 and 2012
-drought and famine in East Africa

Man Created Disasters
-Gulf of Mexico oil spill
-Bombing in Marrakech
-shooting spree in Norway
-London subway bombings

Miscellaneous Events
-Cash for Clunkers program
-Ketchup becomes an official vegetable
-Stamps are now over 40 cents each
-Robert Morris College became Robert Morris University
-My 5 year high school reunion came and went
-New scoring system for the SAT
-Italian cruise ship sank
-Swine Flu
-Mad Cow disease in California
-Girl Scouts controversy

The list is long and it doesn't even come close to covering everything that's happened but its a good start.  So if we meet up when I'm back in America, give me some prep time if you want to have a deep, meaningful discussion on the upcoming elections.  Otherwise, it's going to be 'so nice weather we're having today'. To watch the morning news again and to read an actual newspaper is going to be magical.   It's going to be so nice to be in the know once again!