Monday morning catchup

It's that time of year again when The Associated Press polls its media members to compile the top 10 news stories of the year. Here's the AP's suggestions. Lo! What story here is not like the others?????

The story suggestions:
__Terrorist bombings in London transit system kill 52 commuters.
__Pope John Paul II dies; Joseph Ratzinger succeeds him as Pope Benedict XVI.
__President Bush's approval ratings drop to lowest point as troubles multiply.
__AFL-CIO splinters after rebel unions bolt the federation.
__Hurricane Katrina worst in record-breaking season; at least 1,300 die, New Orleans floods.
__Two U.S. Supreme Court vacancies open with O'Connor retirement and Rehnquist death.
__Despite peace talks, huge toll from violence continues to rise in Sudan's Darfur region.
__Iraq: U.S. military deaths pass 2000; constitution adopted but insurgency persists.
__Former WorldCom, Tyco executives sentenced to prison for corporate crime.
__Major League Baseball proposes tough steroids penalties after many abuses revealed.
__CIA leak scandal: Cheney aide Lewis Libby indicted; prominent reporters entangled.
__Urban violence flares for weeks in France's immigrant-filled suburbs
__Former Klansman convicted in 1964 Mississippi civil rights killings.
__Yearlong relief and recovery effort in aftermath of Indian Ocean tsunami.
__Israel withdraws from Gaza Strip; tensions with Palestinians persist.
__Michael Jackson acquitted on child molestation charges
__Syria withdraws troops from Lebanon; blamed for killing of Lebanese ex-premier.
__Arrest, conviction in Wichita's brutal BTK slayings.
__Afghanistan holds landmark legislative elections, but violence escalates.
__Bitter controversy over removal of brain-damaged Terri Schiavo's feeding tube.
__Oil prices set record highs.
__London beats Paris, New York in bid to host 2012 Olympics.
__Cindy Sheehan, mother of U.S. soldier slain in Iraq, galvanizes anti-war movement.
__Drug giant Merck faces multiple suits over painkiller Vioxx; cuts thousands of jobs.
__House Majority Leader Tom DeLay indicted in campaign finance scheme.
__More U.S. airlines file for bankruptcy protection.
__Earthquake hits region along Pakistan-India border, killing more than 87,000.
__Saddam Hussein goes on trial in Iraq for charges including mass murder and torture.
__President Bush picks Ben Bernanke to replace Alan Greenspan as Federal Reserve chief.
__Chicago White Sox win their first World Series since 1917.
__British Prime Minister Tony Blair wins third term, but popularity dips.
__Nations worldwide gird to battle avian flu.
__Three blasts at Jordan hotels kill 60 people; Al-Qaida claims responsibility.
__North Korea, Iran resist international pressure to curb nuclear activities.
__Dramatic economic growth in China, India, far outpacing Western nations.
__Massive liabilities revealed for pension plans covering 44 million Americans.
__Tornado kills 23 in Indiana.
__Food shortages affect 5 million in Niger, other southern Sahara nations.
__Multiple controversies over alleged abuse of foreign detainees by U.S. forces.
__Advocates of "intelligent design" challenge the way evolution is taught in schools.
__German elections end in near-deadlock, force awkward coalition of rivals.
__Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon leaves Likud Party; early elections likely.

OK, maybe the White Sox one is weird too, but let me just say, MJ better not make the top 10.

The newspaper up in ski country likes to round up what people do to try to ski free or to get to off-limits powder. Here's some tricks from the people who got caught: Story.

Holiday spending empties the wallet, but it's all for a good cause. This nifty article puts yearly spending in perspective and shows how you can squeeze something extra into your budget with just a few changes in your buying.