Jan 01
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
I found nothing, but given as it [nothing] cannot be manufactured in China, I guess that’s something of an improvement.
Jan 01
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
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
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
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
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
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
Jan 01
NFL Thursday Night Football: A namby-pamby fop cites ad nauseam the reasons why everyone should consider tuning in to NFL Thursday Night Football.
Runner up: Not to be outdone, TSN force feeds Canadians a backwater finger nails on chalkboard invitation to meander drunkenly across the Canadian tundra to see the 100th Grey Cup football championship in Toronto.
Jan 01
360o Travel : The majesty of nature and travel through the triumph of technology edged out my runners up as, although equally educational and thought provoking, they were a little hard on my sagging sense of being.
Runners up:
Scale of the Universe: Try this in lieu of diet if you are resolving to feel smaller in the New Year.
History of the World in Two Minutes: Its Dust in the Wind meets Attention Deficit Disorder
What everyone else was watching: youtubes-top-ten-viral-videos-of-2012
Jan 01
“It’s what I have always said as of today, you can’t be an action movie when you’re always running away.”
— Thing 1 after suffering through The Bourne Legacy, another of Hollywood’s many attempts of late to stretch a short story into a trillogy.
Runner up:
“The Conference Board of Canada estimates that in 2013 the pandas alone will result in a 5.3 per cent increase in our Gross Domestic Adorability. That should be enough to ensure Canada leads the G8 not only in “cuddly” but also in “wuddly.” Your move, economic turmoil.“
– MacLean’s Humour Columnist Scott Feschuk on the PMs alleged diplomatic coupe which resulted in China offering to “rent” two Panda Bears to Canada