A look back at 2009

Only three weeks left until the beginning of a new year and a new decade. 
No doubt 2010 will be full of fresh beginnings and new adventures. 
But before we look to the future, let's take a look back and reflect on a very eventful 2009.  Here are some winners for the "Bests of 2009."


Best Sports Achievement:
Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA Championship.  A year after suffering a devastating loss to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, the Lakers redeemed themselves in 2009 by beating the Orlando Magic in five games.  This comeback marked the 15th championship for the Lakers, second most in league history, right behind none other than the Boston Celtics. 


Most Popular Trend:
Tweeting. No longer do you have to annoy your friends by leaving hundreds of status updates on your Facebook. Now you can annoy them on Twitter.  Almost every celebrity or pseudo-celebrity and beyond uses Twitter to update fans and followers on their every move. Tweeting has grown immensely popular among entertainers who share more trivia than anyone can bargain for. Who wouldn't want to know what Shaq or Snoop Dogg is doing every minute of their lives, right? 

 

Most Embarrassing Moment:
Kanye West at the Video Music Awards.  Who could forget when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift as she was about to give her thank you speech after winning for Best Female Video?  West was criticized and mocked by almost everybody.  Even President Obama shared his thoughts about Kanye, unknowingly, on national television when he called Mr. West a not-so-nice word.  Hey Kanye, does Barack Obama hate black people too?


Best Musical Artist:
Taylor Swift.  The Kanye West controversy only added to Swift's star status, not to mention the additional award she won for Best Female Video and her five American Music Awards, including the most coveted prize, Artist of the Year.  The 19-year old Swift also made history at the Country Music Awards as the youngest artist ever to win the Entertainer of the Year award, along with three other prizes. 


Greatest Tragedy: 
Fort Hood.  On November 5th, 2009, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army major and psychiatrist, opened fire on his fellow soldiers killing 13 and injuring 30 more.  The shooting raised suspicion of being a possible terrorist act as well as the concern for future attacks from within happening again.


Greatest Celebrity Tragedy:
Michael Jackson dies at the age of 50.  Referred to as the King of Pop, Jackson was one of the most influential entertainers of his time.  Despite a controversial personal life, Jackson will be remembered for his music and dance performances. 


Biggest Scare: 
Swine flu.  Approximately 45,000 cases of swine flu and 4,500 deaths have been reported in the United States.  The Center for Disease Control is urging everyone to always wash their hands and avoid people who are sneezing and coughing, and to get their swine and seasonal flu shots.


Best Movie: 
Inglorious Basterds.  It's always hard to pick the best movie, especially in 2009 with all the sequels and comic-book movies vying for epic status.  Inglorious Basterds has the perfect mix of drama, intelligence, action and comedy. It is arguably Quentin Tarantino's best movie ever. 


Popular Book:
Twilight.  Although most avid readers of the Twilight series would agree that the movie didn't do the book justice, they would also agree that it made the book a lot more popular.  Over seventeen million copies of the Twilight series have been sold in the U.S. and 85 million copies worldwide.


Greatest Historic Moment:
Presidential Inauguration.  The election of Barack Obama as the first African-American president ushered in a new political era.  His inauguration was surely a defining moment of 2009 and a statement as to how diverse the United States has become.

Although the new year, as well as the new decade, is sure to have many memorable moments, 2009 is a year that we will not soon forget.