As we take one final look back on the almost defunct year of 2009, these are the top 50 articles at Dakota Voice during the year, based on the number of hits they received. Some continued to receive thousands of hits months after they were published, and are relevant and informative even today. Take a walk with us down memory lane as we take one final look back at the events and issues of 2009.

Yet another global warming gathering has been dampened by a snowstorm. It seems this happens quite often when global warming rallies are called. Is there a cosmic sense of humor at work?

Fox News has the top nine stories on which the lamestream media took a snooze in 2009. These are stories which by any objective (what the “mainstream” media is supposed to be) estimation should have been among the biggest stories of the year…but were instead hardly heard of outside Fox News, talk radio and the blogosphere.

The problem isn’t that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s comments about the Detroit airline terrorist and how “the system worked” were taken out of context. Sadly, her comments were taken in context with this administration’s naive approach to defense, and that’s a scary thought.

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh is said to be “resting comfortably” in the hospital in Hawaii. His producer and website say he is okay and updates will be made at RushLimbaugh.com.

Various media outlets are reporting radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has been rushed to the hospital via ambulance in Honolulu, Hawaii where he was vacationing. Reports say he is in “serious” condition. And the “tolerant” liberals on the Left are ecstatic with joy.

Well, now that both the U.S. House and Senate have passed the unconstitutional government health care bill, the American people are resigned to it and most Americans are now behind it. Right? Ah, no. Not even close.

The Florida pastor who sheltered runaway teen convert Rifqa Bary formally denied Tuesday that he knowingly broke the law to hide the Muslim-turned-Christian girl from Ohio.

It’s a good thing Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) doesn’t have to face the voters for another three years. The latest poll after his sell-out vote on government health care shows he’d be toast in 2010. Will the voters remember in 2012 when he’s next up for re-election? I’d bank on it.

Every U.S. Senator who voted for the health care reform bill “stuck” every state in the Union with a big bill that no state needs right now during a recession and falling revenues.

Ravi Zacharias has been doing a series on “Is There Not a Cause?” which deals with purpose and meaning. If you enjoy thinking, check it out.

Has President Obama’s “Speak softly and bow often” approach to leadership made America safer? The results are in, and the answer is: no.

What’s more important: being a cool parent or a good parent? One tattoo artist says “Every parent wants to be the cool parent,” and I fear he’s all too right.

Senator Harry Reid predicted an earful of “wonderment and happiness” from the American people over passage of the unconstitutional health care bill, but Senator Chris Dodd heard something else.

What a scene. The courageous iron-willed Nobel-prize-laureate makes his adorable little girls wait for Christmas while Daddy bludgeons a compliant Congress to pass anything they can call heath care reform so the Cavalcade of Czars can fill in the blanks later.

The Rapid City Journal reports that for all Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin’s fence-straddling votes, her seat in congress in 2010 is far less than secure. Liberals as well as conservatives are upset with her, but many South Dakotans are realizing it would be better to have a rep they can trust to do the right thing, rather than one they have to pressure and watch like a hawk.

The U.S. House has already passed the cap and trade global warming tax, but after the tooth-and-nail fight for government health care, many Senate Democrats don’t want to tackle cap and trade in 2010.

The best of the best from Dakota Voice last week, including: December 25 and the Origin of Christmas; Sleaze and Slop Returns to White House Christmas Tree; Were Governor Rounds and Senator Thune politically correct?; An Insult to All Science Are We Beyond Reproach?; Senate Whores: Let the Fiddling Begin; Jack Bauer Interrogates Santa; and more!

An order to remove angels and stars from Christmas trees in all government buildings in one California county has been rescinded following the uproar that ensued over the decision. Acting County Administrator Chris Thomas in Sonoma County informed the heads of all 26 county departments to disregard his previous order, which was made in response to the complaint of a disabled atheist veteran.

Tens of thousands of Filipinos celebrated Christmas in temporary evacuations centers Friday after having fled their homes in fear of a major volcanic eruption. With the alert level for the Philippines’ Mayon volcano at the second-highest stage, more than 40,000 evacuees had to stay away from their homes and settle for a Christmas in crowded gymnasiums and schools.

Was December 25 just a pagan holiday Christians took for their own religious holiday? Is there any reason to believe December 25 might really be the birthday of Jesus Christ? Some historians, including early church fathers, think there is a good case for December 25 as the actual date for the first Christmas.

Christmas 2009 and our nation is still at war. Afghanistan? Iraq? Yes, of course. But the war’s front is here at home. The war we are having with ourselves.

All government departments in Sonoma County, Calif., removed stars, angels and other religious ornaments this week after an atheist man filed a complaint that he was offended by the Christmas tree decorations.

A Columbian governor banned Christianity on a reservation for indigenous people and has imprisoned 28 of the natives for refusing to renounce their Christian faith.

The people and the states aren’t taking passage of the un-American, un-Constitutional, corrupt government health care bill sitting down. Legal challenges, Tenth Amendment challenges, nullification and more are on the table in the face of this unprecedented slap in the face to the U.S. Constitution and freedom.