The first Sages awarded...

Roll out the red carpet because here are the first Sage Street Awards, simply known as Sages, for the year 2009:

(Note: This list is likely to grow as I think of the categories, so check back on it from time to time.)

The biggest winner, in a positive way, of 2009: The nominees include MSNBC network's political talk counterbalance to conservative Fox network; Netflix, the DVD company that provides great range of film to the public by mail; the growth of independent film-making as assisted along the way by Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival; the ACLU who continues to challenge what's wrong, even when it's an unpopular cause, and often wins in the Supreme Court for regular people. The winner is Barack Obama who so far has avoided a second Great Depression despite the economic mess left from the Bush years. He wasn't FDR unfortunately this past year, but there's hope that he could be in the future.

The biggest loser of 2009: The nominees included the Republican Party as the new Party of No (and no ideas), Mark Sanford's amazing hypocrisy in journeying down the Appalachian trail; religious fundamentalism of any religion which keeps people in narrow frames of mind and prevents progress. The winner is Tiger Woods, who showed that much of celebrity sports is about popularity, too much money, and superficiality. He proved that even being probably the greatest golfer in history doesn't mean much in the end if the priorities of family and character are abandoned.

The saddest turn of events in 2009: The nominees include the U.S. Postal Service which, though it delivers inexpensively-priced mail with almost daily service and competent reliability, lost income to the computer technology of e-mail; and that Editor and Publisher magazine, which covered the newspaper industry for decades, would cease publication. The winner is: The loss of many newspapers. They are an important media form, crucial to better democracy and community-building.

The biggest political punch in the reality nose for 2009: Nominees included Barack Obama with the notion that there apparently is no such thing as a liberal president, even when we want one and vote for one; the awful Clinton people take over the White House after we voted for Obama; no likely public option in the health care reform plan though most Americans wanted it; Wall Street, the banks and credit card companies who were bailed-out then raised rates, gave outrageous CEO bonuses, and did little for regular taxpayers; the national news media (with the exception of Rachel Maddow) for failing to cover the story of the "Family" religious cult group of conservative Republicans; that there is always political over-reaction to airplane security mishaps and then usually the end result for the traveling public is no better safety but more hassles and delays. The winner is: A surge in deployment in U.S. troops in yet another endless war in Afghanistan.

The most over-rated, annoying, or puzzling media product in 2009: Facebook, a social network that is a bit like when an adult has to sit at the kids' table; more reality TV shows of dull regular people acting stupid and mean; Amazon.com's Kindle or other electronic book devices providing yet another screen and need for batteries; Twitter and the shortening of words, language and communication or the following of people who don't deserve to have followers (though appreciation is given for its importance in non-democratic countries, like Iran and China, where people are seeking freedom and rights). The winner is: Cell phones within an industry that has avoided the scrutiny about possible links to brain cancer and other forms of cancer (as well as increased public rudeness).

The best media product in 2009: The nominees include the vast number of television networks; Netflix, the DVD company that provides great range of film to the public by mail; the GPS devices that help travelers find their locations. The winner is a tie between: 1). The traditional book, with its wide range of informational and enjoyable possibilities; and 2). the Internet, with its worldwide reach and vast resources for knowledge, information, and entertainment.

The worst passage in the Bible and least likely to be quoted from a pulpit: Leviticus 21:18-20 which reads, "For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous; Or a man that is broken-footed, or brokenhanded; Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken." In some versions, "hath his stones broken" instead reads "men with small testicles."

Most intriguing creature in Midwest nature: Nominees included bees, bats, armadillos, paddlefish, and mules. The winner is: Fireflies.

Most intriguing living thing to see in the wild: Nominees included redwood trees, koala bears, condors, penguins, manta rays, dolphins, and giraffes. The winner is: Whales.

The most horrifying creature on Earth (for men), not counting violent humans: Nominees included anaconda snakes, pythons, crocodiles, grizzly bears, lions. The winner is the candiru, which is a Brazilian fishlet that can swim up a man's urine stream and lodge in the urethra of the penis with a ring of retrorse spines preventing its removal. According to the book "The Professor and the Mad Man" by Simon Winchester, it is one of the rare circumstances in which doctors will perform an operation known as peotomy, the surgical removal of the penis.

Most intriguing natural event to witness: Nominees included active volcanoes, migration of gnus and wildebeests in Kenya, bird's-eye view of birds in flight. The winner is: Monarch butterflies in mass returning to traditional Mexico cocoon-emerging site.

Best political or social advocate of the year: Nominees included Russ Feingold, Ralph Nader, Al Franken, Elizabeth Edwards, Cindy Sheehan, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow. The winner is: Howard Dean.

The most horrible politician of the year: Nominees included the Republican Party generally, Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin, Ben Nelson, Blue Dog Democrats generally, Rahm Emmanuel, Dick Armey, Tom Coburn. The winner is: Joe Lieberman.

The best maverick: The nominees are the Saturday Night Live cast, Michael Moore, Jon Stewart, Mother Jones magazine, Glen Greenwald of Salon.com, Jimmy Carter. The winner is Levi Johnston, who is the best foil and irritation to mother-in-law Sarah Palin.

The Sage Street famous person of the year: The nominees are Howard Dean, Oprah Winfrey, Tina Fey, Meryl Streep, and Walter Cronkite who died this year. The winner is Pete Seeger, for a lifetime of music and activism.