[Probably not safe for work - language.]

This is your moment of clarity #197: You've probably caught some "year in review" segments. This one has it all - including a lot of stories the mainstream media wants you to forget about. [LeeCamp.net]

Keep fighting,

Lee

From conflict in Syria to the new politics of Egypt; from protests in Greece to the Olympics in London.

As the year draws to a close, Al Jazeera looks back at 2012 and some of the events that changed our world.

Wonder what the New Year's festivities are like at Time's Square? You can catch it all here on livestream, and skip the crowd of over a million people. If you're there, keep warm, and here's some "need to know" info about transit lines, and what you cannot bring into Time's Square.

The webcast began at 5:50 p.m. EST, and will end at 12:15 a.m. tomorrow! It's also totally commercial free, and it won't cut away from New York City to other cities around the world.

Happy 2013, everyone!

A fast look at what made the news, and went viral in video in 2012.

Consider this an open thread, beginning below.

This is a great compilation of some of Luke Rudkowski's best "confrontations" from the past year. Watch as the politicians and power brokers cower from his video camera as he tries to get simple questions answered.

Chris Christie can rest a bit easier now. Popular Newark Mayor Cory Booker--perhaps best known for running into burning buildings, shoveling snow, delivering Sandy supplies, and getting Mark Zuckerberg to shell out over $100 million--has decided not to challenge Christie for the governorship of New Jersey in 2013. Instead, Booker is exploring a candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2014. Booker, a Democrat, was considered the best option to take down the popular Republican governor. Now, thanks to the influence of the White House, he's instead set his sights on the Senate seat currently held by Democrat Frank Lautenberg, who, at 88, is the chamber's oldest sitting senator. A Senior New Jersey Official told Buzzfeed, "The White House weighed and convinced him to run for Senate. They viewed him as an asset they didn't want to tarnish, and they wanted him in the Senate." Booker is expected to announce his decision on Thursday via Twitter.

NBC:

Booker, in a video posted to his YouTube page Thursday, said he would finish his term as mayor and "explore the possibility of running for the United States Senate in 2014."

NBC 4 New York was first to report the decision Thursday.

Booker says he will consult with Democrat Frank Lautenberg, the 88-year-old senator whose term is up in 2014 and is the oldest serving senator.

"It would be a privilege, an honor, to continue his legacy of service," Booker said.

[Image via GQ]

Well, at least he won something this year. GQ has named former presidential candidate Mitt Romney one of its least influential people. The list is “a collection of people so uninspiring that we should round them all up and stick them on an iceberg.”

The magazine explains that although Romney is listed as No. 1, the list is ranked in no particular order, “because all zeroes are created equal.” However, it did note that “voting for Mitt Romney is like hooking up with the last single person at the bar at 4 a.m.” Other noninfluential on the list included Amanda Bynes, Michelle Obama, Ryan Lochte, and Jerry Sandusky’s lawyer.

Michelle Obama?!?

It's Black Friday madness caught on video. A mob of people grabbing for the same product at a Moultrie, Georgia Wal-Mart.

A cell phone shows it all. You can hear the screams of frantic people being pushed and shoved as they tried to get their hands on a Black Friday deal.

"They were literally pulling hair, people lost their shoes, you would see them just fighting, hitting each other, punching each other, and the cops actually told people, look it is time to go, sale is over," said Sharon Buchte, Shopper.

Wal-Mart headquarters says it's an "unfortunate, isolated event."

Isolated event, eh?

At this Wal-Mart in Oklahoma City, it's the sale in the video game section...

DOWNLOADS: (151)

PLAYS: (2029)

Embed

This guy took his young children to Wal-Mart in Tampa, Florida today "to watch the animals" fight over $5.00 headphones, and CNN thought it was such a good idea that they invited him on the TV?

Here we have a lot of women at another Wal-Mart -- not certain where -- rushing the towel sale today.

One last "isolated incident." Oh noes! It's the Xbox games. Note that this Wal-Mart is using yellow police tape to close off the area, lol, as if that would stop this crowd.

From the comments on this video at Youtube, "THE REAL WALKING DEAD..."

A few more Wal-Mart horror stories from Black Friday 2012:

A couple is run over in front of a Washington state Wal-Mart by a possibly intoxicated 71-year-old driver in an SUV. The woman was trapped underneath the vehicle and the man landed on the hood.

An Ohio police department is being sued this Black Friday for yet another isolated incident at a Wal-Mart last Black Friday, when police took down a shopper they wrongly accused of shoplifting and proceeded to beat the holy hell out of him.

And this Florida woman was arrested at a Wal-Mart on Black Thursday, or whatever they call the sale that starts on the day Wal-Mart workers should be home celebrating with their own families, as she searched for her sister in the store.

At yet another Florida Wal-Mart, two people were shot in front of a Tallahassee Wal-Mart by an unidentified person who fled the scene. Few details other than the victims have non-life threatening injuries, according to police, and the scene was swiftly cleaned up so shopping could resume. [Thanks to reader "flag_bible_gun" for the tip. There is video of the shooting that will probably be released at some point after the police finish reviewing it.]

Wal-Mart workers most certainly deserve better wages with all the crap they have to put up with, and I'm not nearly half-way through the Wal-Mart Black Friday videos I've come across or had sent to me. I imagine they were knocked around pretty good today as shoppers fought over their precious Black Friday loot. And to you brave souls who are participating in the walkout today, may this be your last holiday season not earning enough income to get above the poverty line, and finally be respected, appreciated, and safe from workplace hazards...like crazed Black Friday shoppers.

Wow, there simply are no rules on bullsh*t mountain! In this video from 2010, here's Paul Ryan advocating that we lower capital gains so that the wealthy pay closer to the 0% that they can find with offshore accounts.

No criticism of the practice, he wants the practice instituted in the U.S.A.

Hat tip Buzfeed via DU

Narrated by former presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy and activist Mario Savio, along others, "Revolution 2012: It's Time to Rise" explores our rigged system, from the military industrial complex to our bought-and-paid-for elections. But the most poignant sound bite may come from a representative of Iraq Veterans Against the War:

"We are resisting an occupation we once risked our lives for. We swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, but we found out the hard way that the greatest enemies of the Constitution are not to be found in the sands of some far-off land, but rather right here at home. When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty. It is time we started meeting oppression with resistance. They cannot stop us. Humanity marches on. The utmost manifestation of love and devotion to America is today, as it always has been, resistance of tyranny."

As clips from iconic past speeches prove, we were warned.