Every year at this time media outfits like to put together lists of people who?ve ?made a difference? that year. Not me. I’d rather take a few last potshots at those who annoyed us all trying their darnedest to make a difference and failed. Here’s my list:

10. Corporate Diversityniks vs. the Unbearable Statements of ?Christmas.? No doubt the backlash against the ?War on Christmas? was a little overdone, but then again, big-name retailers? defense of their ?Happy Holidays? policy on the basis of recognizing Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, too, went the way of the dodo when they started their ?After-Holiday Sales Events? on Dec. 26, when Hanukkah and Kwanzaa were just getting underway.

9. Congressional Camera Hogs Taking On America?s Big Oil Companies. On Nov. 9, the Senate dragged oil executives in for a pointless (but televised!) dressing-down. Oil and gasoline prices came down immediately ? but they had been falling for the month prior. Some in the media, suspecting oil prices to be unlike every other good and therefore not influenced by market forces, made the post-hoc attribution to Congress the pols wanted. Currently, oil futures are higher than they were in early November.

8. Greek-Letter Hurricanes. After Wilma, the quality of tropical cyclones really dropped off, and Zeta isn?t looking to end that cycle.

7. Sheesh, Bring Back Coy and Vance. The big-screen adaption of ?The Dukes of Hazzard? was a flop; Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville as Bo and Luke just didn?t work, and even Jessica Simpson had viewers wishing they could have Catherine Bach.

6. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. More free elections in Iraq? What?s a terror leader to do?

5. Howard Dean. More free elections in Iraq? What?s an opposition party leader to do?

4. Affirmative Action, Compassionate-Conservative Style. George Bush?s nomination of Harriet Miers for the ?woman?s seat? of the Supreme Court garnered great criticism ? from conservatives, who argued uncompassionately that despite being a woman, Miers wasn?t qualified enough for the high court.

3. The Triangle Transit Authority. Their efforts to shakedown taxpayers across the nation to put a choo-choo train in a diverse, decentralized ? sprawling, if you will ? mid-level metro like the Triangle continued to come to naught, but they’re still oblivious to the finality of the rejections. Will they give up? Never!

2. Cindy Sheehan.Remember those heady few days back in August when all the Democrats, the Far Left, the Mainstream Media and a few kooks in Texas actually thought this horsefaced blubberpot soiling her heroic son?s memory for attention was going to turn Americans against the war on terror? Me neither.

? And the No. 1 Person Who Failed to Make a Difference in 2005 ?

1. John Edwards. UNC?s poverty fighter who?s not ? we repeat, NOT ? in this for politics hired a small staff, held a few panels, and for some reason attended more than a few Democratic fundraisers across the nation. Meanwhile, there are still people in America living in mobile homes with cars and satellite dishes.

Happy New Year, everybody! Not that I’m trying to offend those of you in No. 10; I won’t make the assumption that you celebrate a date set arbitrarily by decree of Pope Gregory XIII back in the sixteenth century. For you I offer a hearty Evening’s Greetings!