Bad decisions of 2000

Some things just should’ve been left undone. But no, the following decisions — or their repercussions — will survive well into the future.

• Madonna wearing a cowboy hat (Read "The most annoying things about music in 2000" to see if anything tops this one)

• Gov. John Engler promising to deliver the state for the Republicans (Find out what John Engler might have done in an alternate universe, in our "News Hits pipe dream")

• Voting for Ralph Nader (Although our editorial endorsement in November may have suggested otherwise)

• Pat Buchanan running with the Reform Party (For a theory on why this and other stupefying news items may have occurred this year, read "Millennium bug strikes back")

• Buying that new set of Firestones (Actually, gag orders on product liability lawsuit settlements may end up affecting us all; read "Secrecy blowout" for more details)

• “Big Brother” (Despite the show's bad ratings, critics found that much of the real-life drama on TV was actually quite good this year)

• Bamboozled, the movie (But if it hadn't been made, you wouldn't be able to read "Watermelon man", Larry Gabriel's story about Spike Lee's film, which explores America’s legacy of minstrelsy as well as its present manifestations)

• Bush instead of McCain, Gore instead of Bradley (At one time, MT's political columnist Jack Lessenberry thought McCain might have pulled it out; see his Feb. 23 column)

• William Shatner’s decision to take stock options in priceline.com (For more on the big bad year in technology, read Adam Druckman's Netropolis column)