Climatologists and meteorologists are still trying to understand whether this is an emerging cycle or a consequence of the much debated global warming said to be the result of human environmental carelessness.

While Haiti headed into its own terrible political storm, and even before the hurricanes began to run their devastating course, Soufriere volcano in Montserrat stirred in early March, shooting ash that drifted to neighbouring islands. And, Kick 'Em Jenny, also in Montserrat, remains active.

Outside the Caribbean, America's Mount St. Helens, in Washington State, began to stir in mid-October and continues to be active.

As if giant winds and brimstone weren't enough larger-than-life drama in this relay race of awesome natural occurrences, as soon as the hurricane season died down nature passed the baton to earthquakes. In recent weeks, earthquakes all exceeding magnitude 5 on the Richter Scale have been felt in the Caribbean - in Cayman, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago.

What on earth is going on?

Still on the topic of weather, Toronto almost had no summer this year, but at least it didn't rain on the Caribana parade - or rather, rain it out. There was only a light periodic drizzle.

This year the world did not draw any closer to peace. March 20 marked the first anniversary of the United States' assault on Iraq. Is there any connection between what is happening there and lower oil prices? We can all rest easy knowing that our automobility, home heating and other essentials are being secured by fearless fighters in far off places. The same driving force is likely behind the genocide now taking place in Darfur in Sudan. News hounds know that when seeking the truth about what goes on in the world among greater powers all one has to do is follow the money - or the oil - to find the real motives.

In Greece, at the 100th Olympic Games, Perdita Felicien crashed into the first hurdle during the 100m race everyone waited to see. She lost the gold but won many hearts with her grace.

Closer to home, Torontonians got the opportunity to exercise their franchise out to yin-yang. We had elections of just about every type from federal, provincial and municipal to the board of Caribana's Caribbean Cultural Committee. This was the year a federal election almost got interesting, but many of us woke up the day after the elections with that 'hold your nose and vote' hangover. Some felt we had been bamboozled by the federal Liberal strategists using scare tactics to drive down the Conservative vote, but the resulting minority Liberal government proves it was a bit of a horse race after all. Toronto City Councilor Jack Layton became head of the federal New Democrats, then won a seat in the Big House. Provincially, the Liberals and Tories switched sides at Queen's Park, and Ontarians got a kinder, gentler right-wing party. Former Mayor Mel Lastman left the building - City Hall, that is, while left-leaning pragmatist David Miller swept into the mayor's seat. John Tory, who also ran for Mayor, capitalized on his second-place showing to become head of the provincial Tories.

Jamaican-born Alvin Curling became Speaker of Ontario's Legislature and Mary Anne Chambers, also Jamaican-born, became provincial Minister of Colleges and Universities. Grenadian-born federal Liberal MP Jean Augustine's demotion in Parliament after a stellar showing in the federal elections was the catalyst for the formation of a new national group devoted to organizing Canada's Black electorate - Operation Black Vote.

Could that have been why Augustine was given a new post as Assistant Deputy Speaker in Canada's House of Commons? Augustine who is also Prime Minister Paul Martin's Special Advisor on Grenada was made Assistant Deputy Chair of the Committees of the Whole.

Canada's Supreme Court issued the opinion that Ottawa has the right to legalize same-sex marriage under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

To the disbelief of many the world over, Americans re-elected George W. Bush as their president.