Mookie's 2013 Awards
As we crawl towards the end of the year, it's time to throw out some nominations for the "Best of the year" for a number of categories.
Historically, I would sift through the WBER Best of 2013 Countdown Options via Youtube playlist and select my favorite songs. (see 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012 examples) but I just didn't manage to do that this year. I haven't been listening to a lot of good music. Honestly, the coolest thing I remember hearing this year was when Alissa & I were in Rochester and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult came on and I knew the song.
So, instead I'll focus on the categories that I did engage in during 2013.
TELEVISION THEME SONG OF THE YEAR: "You've Got Time" - Regina Spektor
Not only is this a WBER artist that I do enjoy (Better, Eet, Fidelity and her team-up with Ben Folds for You Don't Know Me for instance) but it's an original show with the best theme song out there. You can see this show on Netflix.
TELEVISION SHOW OF THE YEAR: Broadchurch
It's a very gripping British mystery about a small coastal town thrown into chaos when a local young boy is found murdered. Not only are the performances by David Tennant and Olivia Colman terrific, but the show has one of the most honest portrayals of grief I've ever seen. (I'm not a Doctor Who fan, so I didn't choose this because of the Tennant connection.) You can catch this on BBC America. Fox is creating an American version; hopefully it won't be oversexed and borderline torture glorification ala The Following.
REDISCOVERY FROM CHILDHOOD OF THE YEAR: Figment
Epcot's finest purple dragon remains awesome. Whether it's old-school in the form of a hat or 15-piece sliding puzzle or new-school such as my coffee mug or stuffed animal for the dogs, 2013 is when I remembered that Figment is cool. (And it doesn't hurt that Eric Idle is the professor in the ride reboot!)
NON-FICTION READING THAT WILL KEEP YOU AHEAD OF THE CURVE OF THE YEAR: Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America's Eyeballs by Gina Keating
More than just a well-researched history of Netflix (founded in 1997), it's also the story of the collapse of the Home Video Store - namely Blockbuster. As one billion-dollar franchise falls, another strides confidently into the new millennium. This book answers a lot of questions about the "why" and reveals how one erratic CEO can propel or kill a company. You really start to understand why certain decisions were made and how big of a role that Marketing and PR place. If you're extra-ambitious, I recommend checking out some 2013 studies on the Netflix including the Nielsen Study on Over-the-top Video and the Harris Interactive Poll. Both reveal details on Netflix usage by system (traditional non-tablet computer is still #1 way) and age-group (Cable & Netflix Streaming are nearly tied for the under 40 crowd).
MOOKIE'S SELF-SERVING HASHTAG OF THE YEAR: #wrestlenomics
This year, I finally really embraced the Twitter ( @mookieghana) and restarted my wrestling stats blog to work as a compliment to my wrestling statistics website. However, my writing passion has been specific to a certain project: a proposed WWE Network. I have been covering this topic in-depth for the past two months, and I recently released a free 40-page PDF on the subject. It's an interesting adventure because you have a passionate fanbase, a new distribution system (going over-the-top ala Netflix instead of via Free/Premium Cable channel) and a completely different revenue model (essentially turning monthly PPV subscriptions into a monthly channel subscription).
MOST ENTERTAINING BUT AWKWARD YOUTUBE RETROGAMING SERIES OF THE YEAR: Game Sack
I love old video game systems - particularly from mid-90s like NES, Turbo-Grafix 16 and Sega Genesis. Joe & Dave are two collectors who put together a great Youtube show with good & honest insight (glad I wasn't the only one who found the new Ducktales reboot tough!) but also terribly staged "comedy". It's so bad, it's enduring because you can tell when they're reading from a script. But it's very entertaining. If you enjoy seeing unusual games, strange systems and learning goofy trivia (like using the mouse-attachment for an improved Marble Madness experience), I don't think there's a better series out there.
BEER OF THE YEAR: Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout
It gives me a migraine every time I drink one, but it's soooo good. It's 9.5% ABV and totally different than all the other beers from the Chippewa Falls brewer. Delicious, dark and very potent - it's a one of a kind beer that probably is the smallest batch that SABMiller brews.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE YEAR: Homeland Season Three
After a disappointing second season that seemed to overly embrace the frenetic spirit of 24, Homeland came back with a captivating and satisfying season. While another season has been announced (and I won't complaint), the show did end with a satisfying story-arc. The show redeemed itself through restraint and excellent pacing.
MOST ENTERTAINING MOVIE YOU DIDN'T SEE: Pain & Gain
Best Michael Bey film in years. Rock is great. If you don't get enough Mark Wahlberg in that, check out "2 Guns" (though the amount of money they're freaking out about seems silly today).
WORST MOVIE YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DIDN'T SEE: Now You See Me
I cannot fathom why they bothered to involve David Copperfield as a consultant just to make such a mess of a movie. The bubbles? The bank account? WHY?! Go see "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" instead. It's much more touching and has both Alan Arkin and Steve Buscemi in it. Or, if you prefer a real magician's magician, check out "Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay" (the story with the ice block is incredible).
I also saw The Heat, Captain Phillips, Pacific Rim, Ender's Game, The World's End but I don't have anything to add about them right now.
BEST NEW WAY TO EACH VEGETABLES: Radishes with copious amounts of Salt
Thanks to The Bachelor Farmer for teaching me these aren't inedible root monstrosities.
Historically, I would sift through the WBER Best of 2013 Countdown Options via Youtube playlist and select my favorite songs. (see 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012 examples) but I just didn't manage to do that this year. I haven't been listening to a lot of good music. Honestly, the coolest thing I remember hearing this year was when Alissa & I were in Rochester and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult came on and I knew the song.
So, instead I'll focus on the categories that I did engage in during 2013.
TELEVISION THEME SONG OF THE YEAR: "You've Got Time" - Regina Spektor
Not only is this a WBER artist that I do enjoy (Better, Eet, Fidelity and her team-up with Ben Folds for You Don't Know Me for instance) but it's an original show with the best theme song out there. You can see this show on Netflix.
TELEVISION SHOW OF THE YEAR: Broadchurch
It's a very gripping British mystery about a small coastal town thrown into chaos when a local young boy is found murdered. Not only are the performances by David Tennant and Olivia Colman terrific, but the show has one of the most honest portrayals of grief I've ever seen. (I'm not a Doctor Who fan, so I didn't choose this because of the Tennant connection.) You can catch this on BBC America. Fox is creating an American version; hopefully it won't be oversexed and borderline torture glorification ala The Following.
REDISCOVERY FROM CHILDHOOD OF THE YEAR: Figment
Epcot's finest purple dragon remains awesome. Whether it's old-school in the form of a hat or 15-piece sliding puzzle or new-school such as my coffee mug or stuffed animal for the dogs, 2013 is when I remembered that Figment is cool. (And it doesn't hurt that Eric Idle is the professor in the ride reboot!)
NON-FICTION READING THAT WILL KEEP YOU AHEAD OF THE CURVE OF THE YEAR: Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America's Eyeballs by Gina Keating
More than just a well-researched history of Netflix (founded in 1997), it's also the story of the collapse of the Home Video Store - namely Blockbuster. As one billion-dollar franchise falls, another strides confidently into the new millennium. This book answers a lot of questions about the "why" and reveals how one erratic CEO can propel or kill a company. You really start to understand why certain decisions were made and how big of a role that Marketing and PR place. If you're extra-ambitious, I recommend checking out some 2013 studies on the Netflix including the Nielsen Study on Over-the-top Video and the Harris Interactive Poll. Both reveal details on Netflix usage by system (traditional non-tablet computer is still #1 way) and age-group (Cable & Netflix Streaming are nearly tied for the under 40 crowd).
MOOKIE'S SELF-SERVING HASHTAG OF THE YEAR: #wrestlenomics
This year, I finally really embraced the Twitter ( @mookieghana) and restarted my wrestling stats blog to work as a compliment to my wrestling statistics website. However, my writing passion has been specific to a certain project: a proposed WWE Network. I have been covering this topic in-depth for the past two months, and I recently released a free 40-page PDF on the subject. It's an interesting adventure because you have a passionate fanbase, a new distribution system (going over-the-top ala Netflix instead of via Free/Premium Cable channel) and a completely different revenue model (essentially turning monthly PPV subscriptions into a monthly channel subscription).
MOST ENTERTAINING BUT AWKWARD YOUTUBE RETROGAMING SERIES OF THE YEAR: Game Sack
I love old video game systems - particularly from mid-90s like NES, Turbo-Grafix 16 and Sega Genesis. Joe & Dave are two collectors who put together a great Youtube show with good & honest insight (glad I wasn't the only one who found the new Ducktales reboot tough!) but also terribly staged "comedy". It's so bad, it's enduring because you can tell when they're reading from a script. But it's very entertaining. If you enjoy seeing unusual games, strange systems and learning goofy trivia (like using the mouse-attachment for an improved Marble Madness experience), I don't think there's a better series out there.
BEER OF THE YEAR: Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout
It gives me a migraine every time I drink one, but it's soooo good. It's 9.5% ABV and totally different than all the other beers from the Chippewa Falls brewer. Delicious, dark and very potent - it's a one of a kind beer that probably is the smallest batch that SABMiller brews.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE YEAR: Homeland Season Three
After a disappointing second season that seemed to overly embrace the frenetic spirit of 24, Homeland came back with a captivating and satisfying season. While another season has been announced (and I won't complaint), the show did end with a satisfying story-arc. The show redeemed itself through restraint and excellent pacing.
MOST ENTERTAINING MOVIE YOU DIDN'T SEE: Pain & Gain
Best Michael Bey film in years. Rock is great. If you don't get enough Mark Wahlberg in that, check out "2 Guns" (though the amount of money they're freaking out about seems silly today).
WORST MOVIE YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DIDN'T SEE: Now You See Me
I cannot fathom why they bothered to involve David Copperfield as a consultant just to make such a mess of a movie. The bubbles? The bank account? WHY?! Go see "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" instead. It's much more touching and has both Alan Arkin and Steve Buscemi in it. Or, if you prefer a real magician's magician, check out "Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay" (the story with the ice block is incredible).
I also saw The Heat, Captain Phillips, Pacific Rim, Ender's Game, The World's End but I don't have anything to add about them right now.
BEST NEW WAY TO EACH VEGETABLES: Radishes with copious amounts of Salt
Thanks to The Bachelor Farmer for teaching me these aren't inedible root monstrosities.