Category Archive: 2012

Jan 01

2012 Year-end Review

The Chinese called it the Year of the Dragon. The United Nations dubbed 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives and International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.  It was the year that Spiderman and The Rolling Stones turned 50.  The Oreo cookie turned 100 years old.  2012 also marked the 100th anniversary of:

  • the sinking of the Titanic;
  • Life Saver candies;
  • the electric blanket;
  • the Girl Scouts of America;
  • the stainless steel patent;
  • the discovery of vitamins;
  • the tragic demise of Robert Scott’s Expedition to the South Pole;
  • the concept of continental drift;
  • ecstasy (the drug);
  • paved highways in North America;
  • electric traffic lights;
  • the Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures movie companies.

In honour of the Chinese Year of the Dragon, we found ourselves dragon our butts through what just might have been one of the most uneventful years on record.  Nothing has changed since 2011.  Europe continues to flirt with disaster; Quebec is still corrupt;  the Chinese have yet to become disoriented; banks are still sleazy; Obama is still president; and the world did not end  (unless you are an NHL hockey fan).  Be that as it may, you should continue to “Party Like There’s No ToMaya” and let me muse over what happened last year and what lies ahead in 2013.

Jan 01

Story of the Year 2012

Their calendar was not as good as Mayan

The world did not end on December 21, 2012.

Jan 01

Feel Good Story of the Year 2012

See Story of the Year

Honourable mention:   Electric car wins Motor Trend Car of the Year

In an electrifying game changer that  Detroit automakers cannot continue to dodge, the Tesla S becomes the first electric car to claim the vaunted award, not because it is the best electric car, but because it is the best of all cars on the road. With 250 patents covering the Model S, and more pending, the Tesla goes from 0 to 60 mph in a Porsche-rivaling 4.4 seconds.  With a top speed of 130 mph, it travels farther on a charge than any electric car in history—up to 300 miles on the optional 85-kilowatt-hour battery—and recharges three times as fast as the industry standard.  The sticker price today is $59,000.  

Jan 01

Sleeper Story of the Year 2012

Holy 1984 Mr. Orwell, where’s my telephone?

 

Oops! Stop the celebration!  Humanity is in fact doomed. A U.K. poll learns that 66% (up from 53% last year) of it’s citizens are afraid of losing or being without their cell phones.  It’s called nomophobia (but don’t worry I’m sure there will soon be an app for that).

Jan 01

Innovation of the Year 2012

I found nothing, but given as it [nothing] cannot be manufactured in China, I guess that’s something of an improvement.

Jan 01

Re-run of the Year 2012

Obama Bin Slidin is voted the “baddest” presidential candidate for the times.    
Realizing that in the greater scheme of things its all bad, Americans vote for the only candidate that can make bad sound good.

Runner up: Usain Bolt is still the world’s fastest man.

Jan 01

Statistic of the Year 2012

The World Meteorological Organization reported that despite an early cooling La Niña for half the year, 2012 will be one of the top ten hottest years since records started to be kept more than 160 years ago. Nearly half the population in the world has never experienced a month that was colder than normal globally. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, September 2012 was the 16th month since 2000 that the Earth has tied or broken a monthly warm temperature record.

 

Runner up: A study conducted by the American Food and Drug Administration found that 90% of more than 100 different prescription and non-prescription drugs were still safe and effective to use even 15 years after their printed date of expiration.

Jan 01

Movie of the Year 2012

John Carter of Mars

 

An excellent rendering of one of Edgar Rice Burroughs pulp fantasy classics that lost some of its luster at the box office because many might have thought it was a cheap remake of the Avatar franchise whereas, in fact, Avatar was more likely an expensive adaptation of Burroughs’ Martian Chronicle.

 

Honourable mention:  Dark Shadows

 

…The rest at the box-office

 

Most Memorable Movie Scene of the Year:  The scene from The  Avengers (an otherwise been there, seen that flick) where Hulk casually backhands Thor across the room after they successfully save the day.

Jan 01

Song of the Year 2012

Bitter End by Veer Union 

Although acknowledging a very good Try from P!nk and a Christian Rock band called Thousand Foot Krutch that Let the Sparks Fly from what was easily the best album of the year (albeit not one you will find on any of the mainstream lists), Bitter End merits top spot on strength of a never say die message for a year when hope was in such short supply:

Honourable mention:

Try by P!nk

War of Change by Thousand Foot Krutch 

Let the Sparks Fly by Thousand Foot Krutch

Somebody that I used to Know by Gotye

Jan 01

Best Book (I have read) of the Year 2012

World War Z  by Max Brooks

I actually listened to this one in it’s abridged audio book format. It is the only zombie story everyone needs to hear.  It is a tight and entertaining traipse through today’s human condition with enough brain candy for everyone regardless of their love or hate for the zombie genre. This incredibly fresh take on an otherwise stale story-line is made even fresher with the addition of a horde of accomplished narrators. If this doesn’t get you thinking about the world you live in, you might be a zombie.

 

What the other guys liked:  New York Times Bestseller List

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