It began with the inauguration of our country's first black president. The Steelers won the Super Bowl just 12 days later. By June, the City of Pittsburgh was living large after celebrating a remarkable Game 7 victory by the Penguins to clinch the Stanley Cup.Then things went down hill real fast after that. So, let's hope 2010 is much better than the last year of the decade. I don't see how it can be worse.
BEST OF 2009
5: Pens clinch Stanely Cup in remarkable Game 7
4: Steelers win unprecedented sixth Lombardi Trophy
3: Flying Dutchman stamps out the underwear bomber
2: Sully safely lands a crippled jetliner in the Hudson River
1: Obama becomes first black president of these United States
WORST OF 2009
5: Several Pa. legislators are indicted on corruption charges
4: Pirates make history with 17 consecutive losing seasons
3: G-20 Summit turns Pittsburgh into a police state
2: A madman kills three women after opening fire at LA Fitness
1: Three Pittsburgh officers killed while responding to a domestic call
I would have put the recession somewhere in the second list.
ReplyDeleteBut the Recession ended during 2009. Most of the economical problems I place at the foot of 2008.
ReplyDeleteI would love more of your input on the Best and Worst of 2009. These are just my opinions, and nowhere close to an official list.
2009 will always be defined by the recession.
ReplyDeleteAlso bad: The Fort Hood shootings
As for the good, 2009 was the year health care reform was born. That was big.
Good call on the Fort Hood shootings. Although I am indifferent about health care reform. I think it showed how broken our government is right now. With 60 votes now needed to pass any legislation, I don't see how anything else important will pass.
ReplyDeleteI went round and round with a couple of folks about this on the forum, but I agree with you wholeheartedly, Mike, when it comes to the health-care legislation. What we are left with after all the "compromises" is a festering pile of crap that most likely won't do anything to bring down costs. Certainly, more people will have coverage, but at what cost to those who already were paying the freight. I'm all for helping those in need, but there has to be some payoff at the end.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget, Obama is America's first HALF-black President. Don't read this the wrong way. In slave days, a person was considered "black" and ineligible to be a full U.S. citizen if s/he was even 1/8th black. To call Obama "black" when he is only half black is to perpetuate that culture of racism. And I can personally attest to your love of political corectness, Mike (please note the sarcasm of the last sentence).
ReplyDeleteHalf black?
ReplyDeleteTop or bottom?
I can only respond with your U.S. senator's favorite saying... "Yeah, man!!!"
ReplyDelete