Due to an unforeseen technical side effect of the Federal government’s forthcoming internet filtering regimen, an online article reviewing the year 2010 has fallen into a wormhole in the intertubes, giving us all a glimpse of the year ahead.
However, the article did not survive its temporal dislocation unscathed. It is also not clear from which publication this review originated. I have indicated the gaps in the text with letters below. Can LP denizens please assist to recreate what the original text will-have-been as it once-might-was?
Please use the letter key to list your suggested answers in the comments:
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2010: The year we finally (a)____________!
Just 365 short days ago, as 2009 drew to a close, one could scarcely believe that (b)_______ would be the first (c)__________ leader of (d)__________. Still, in a year when (e) _______ , perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised.
The election results in (f) ____________ were also unexpected, not least for the victor (g) ___________, who admitted to feeling “humbled and (h) ________ ” by the result.
In the field of (i)_________ there was a lot of progress towards (j) _________ , although this faced strong opposition from (k) __________ who instead advocated (l) ___________ .
Negotiations between (m) ____________ and (n) ______________ resulted in a promise to (o) _______________, to the relief of all involved.
The marriage of (p) __________ and (q) ___________ surprised many, although a parting of the ways between (r) _____________ and (s) ____________ raised barely a murmur.
On the lighter side, whether the runaway success of (t) ______________ can also be duplicated in the new year is anybody’s guess.
Finally, the announcement of the first (u) __________ transplant between a (v) __________ and (w) ___________ will surely give many pause for thought.
Looking ahead to 2011, the proposed referendum on (x) ________________ is sure to provoke strong passions. Leading the ‘yes’ case seems a forlorn hope, but if anybody can do it, (y) _____________ can.
So, with all that’s gone before, and all that is yet to come, may we at (z) _________________ take this opportunity to wish all our readers a happy and prosperous year in 2011.
a) (respondents enter darkest desire here)
b) a merino sheep
c) Australian pure bred meriino
d) the Merino Party of Australia
e) sheep.
Thank yoooo Mercurius. Off to a good start for NY and a happy one to you and all others at LP and all other parts.
a) blew it.
b) female
c) Sophie Mirabella
d) the Federal Liberal Party.
The rest of it was too horrible to contemplate.
2010: The year we finally rose above our anti-Islamic xenophobia!
Just 365 short days ago, as 2009 drew to a close, one could scarcely believe that Keysar Trad would be the first Islamic leader of NSW Legislature. Still, in a year when Islamic views on the wisdom of avoiding drugs and alcohol led to a reduction in the Aussie binge drinking culture, perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised.
The election results in Brisbane City Council were also unexpected, not least for the victor, Galila Abdel Salam, who admitted to feeling “humbled and surprised” by the result.
In the field of community relations there was a lot of progress moving beyond tolerance to mutual respect, although this faced strong opposition from the conservative rump of white supremacists who instead advocated an Australian version of apartheid.
Negotiations between the Catholic Church, the Uniting Church, the Forum on Australia’s Islamic Relations and the Australian Jewish Democratic Society resulted in a promise to return to shared core Abrahamic values as People of the Book to the relief of all involved.
m. Pope Benedict
n. the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem
o. to confess that Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” was nothing less than the unvarnished truth
2010: The year we finally [a] embraced the idea of ecosystem services as a purely luxury good!
Just 365 short days ago, as 2009 drew to a close, one could scarcely believe that [b] a braindead empathy-challenged catspaw for cultural morlochs would be the first [c]12-month-long leader of [d]the raving monster looney wingnut party. Still, in a year when [e] revisiting the mistakes of 1980 was de rigeur, perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised.
The election results in [f] August were also unexpected, not least for the victor [g] Kevin Rudd, who pretended to feeling “humbled and [h] yet energised in a programatically non-specified way” by the result.
In the field of [i]border protection there was a lot of progress towards [j] building more brutal but hidden from view off-shore detention centres, although this faced strong opposition from [k] rational humanists who instead advocated [l] deeming humans beings as having persuasive claims to live like human beings.
Negotiations between [m] government and [n] the raving monster looney wingnut party resulted in a promise to [o] protect big-business, rural stripminers and economically-driven vandals in general, to the relief of all involved.
The marriage of [p] twitter and [q] the notion of the wisdom of crowds surprised many, although a parting of the ways between [r] good sense and [s] public culture raised barely a murmur.
On the lighter side, whether the runaway success of [t] the latest crop of reality shows based on odd-couple marriages can also be duplicated in the new year is anybody’s guess.
Finally, the announcement of the first [u] trehalose transplant between a [v] conservative and a [w] water bear will surely give many pause for thought [and a time to rest].
Looking ahead to 2011, the proposed referendum on [x] getting rid of political donations to registered political parties is sure to provoke strong passions. Leading the ‘yes’ case seems a forlorn hope, but if anybody can do it, [y] Bob Brown can.
So, with all that’s gone before, and all that is yet to come, may we at [z] The Twilight Zone take this opportunity to wish all our readers a happy and prosperous year in 2011.
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Thank you Fran! Yes, I think that solved it!