2009 Wrap-up

List of the big things this year as I see them:
1. The arrival of socialism in America, courtesy of Barack Hussein Obama. Sure, we've bits and pieces of it for years, but now we have real socialists in charge in Washington. Predictably, they immediately went for an explosion in the size and scope of government, with the push for health care takeover, cap and trade energy taxes, card-check unionization, innumerable unaccountable "czars" making policy, and bloated (non)stimulus packages, to name but a few things.
2. The rise of the "tea parties" in response to all of the above. Truly from the grass roots, rallies from people who never protested anything before popped up all over the country. Attacks from the biased media only made the protesters angrier as regular people saw an establishment that just wanted the people to shut up and pay their taxes like good little sheep.
3. Unemployment at over 10% as the traditional manufacturing jobs go away for good. Employers here continue to be burdened with more and more onerous rules and regulations. Where are the incentives to hire more workers? Maybe if you need some "green" energy that isn't commercially viable.
4. Usain Bolt. Fastest human ever.
5. The fall of the great "tiger", just sordid. If you want to live like a lout, go ahead, nobody cares these days. Just don't get married and make a mockery of marriage, especially when your wife is a supermodel.
6. The treatment of Guantanamo detainees as common criminals with US constitutional rights instead of the terrorists/enemy combatants they are. This is has been going on quite awhile with the ACLU types, but now its government policy. September 10th thinking.
7. Climategate. If you don't know what it is you probably still think the polar bears are dying and the ice is melting. Please, please DO NOT let facts get in the way of your dogma. After all, we must save "our mother".
8. Bengals in the playoffs. Big around here, especially after the disaster of the 2008 season.
9. 25th anniversary. Also big around here. Nobody else probably cares, but this is my list, after all.
10. Be grandpa soon. Check back in 2010.