Welcome back, once again, to "End of the Year: 2011," The mj15 Blog's look back into the past twelve months that was. What you're about to read is part three, which just basically consists of me giving out miscellaneous honors, both good and bad, to a bunch of things that made 2011 so memorable. If you missed any of the previous two installments, just click here and here to view them. Otherwise, I hope that you enjoy the post.
If you've ever read my previous "End of the Year" specials before, then you know what this is. If you haven't, here's a quick explanation: because this yearly column consists of one post dedicated to a recap of some of the year's major stories and events, one post dedicated to honoring the year's twenty best viral videos, and one honoring the year's top people (or rather, the most memorable people that were in the spotlight this past year), that means that I have to spend one post jamming in every other thing that I felt was worth mentioning from this past year, whether it's the year's top movies, the most memorable scandals, the biggest buzzwords, and so one. This is where part three comes in. So, without further ado, here is a bunch of miscellaneous honors from the year 2011 that I felt was worth giving out:
Words of the Year:
-"Occupy"
-"The 99%"
-"The 53%"
-"Planking"
-"Arab Spring"
-"Winning"
-"Tiger Blood"
-"Hashtag"
-"Carmageddon"
-"Anonymous"
-"Hacktivist"
-"Siri"
-"Squeezed Middle"
-"Eurozone"
-"Lockout"
-"Friday"
-"Nine" (as in Herman Cain's 999 plan)
-"Seal Team Six"
Quotes of the Year:
-"We are the 99%!": The famous chant from this year's Occupy Wall Street chants.
-"We got him.": U.S. President Barack Obama after learning that Navy SEAL Team Six found and successfully killed Osama bin Laden.
-"I am on a drug. It's called 'Charlie Sheen.' It's not available because if you try it once, you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body.": Charlie Sheen, in an interview with ABC News this past February.
-"I'm a F-18, bro.": Yet another memorable Charlie Sheen in one of his many interviews with members of the media this past February.
-"It's three agency in government when I got there that are gone: commerce, education, and the uh...what's the third one, there? Let's see...commerce, education, and the, umm,umm...": Texas governor Rick Perry, forgetting the third thing that he promises to remove as President in a Republican presidential debate from November.
-"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.": The opening to Steve Jobs' resignation letter as Apple CEO due to his worsening cancer back in August. Jobs would die two months later of that very same cancer.
-"I can't say with certitude.": Then NY congressman Anthony Weiner, asked in early June whether the scandalous photographs surfacing featured him. Weiner would resign weeks later because of those photos asked of.
-"They love me...They will die to protect me, my people." Muammar Gaddafi on the Libyan people just months before rebels overthrew his regime and ended up also killing him.
-"His remark was not intended to be a factual statement." The office of Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, when asked about the man's statement saying that 90% of Planned Parenthood was for abortion.
-"Be a dog! We don't need no meows, we don't need more cats. We need more dawgs." Former Coastal Carolina head football coach David Bennett on how his team should be playing like.
-"Watch how much evil, which we call crime, watch how much crimes picks up, if you take away our game." Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, using fear to make a case to end the NFL lockout.
-"I opened my eyes and there was a naked man wearing my leather jacket eating a Fudgsicle in front of my bed": Actor Nicolas Cage, explaining a break-in that happened to him earlier this year.
-"My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress.": Billionaire Warren Buffett explaining his reasoning for tax increases on the rich back in August.
- "Lord, I wanna thank you for my smokin' hot wife, tonight, Lisa, my two children, Eli and Emma, or as we like to call them, the Little E's. Lord, I pray you bless the drivers and use them tonight. May they put on a performance worthy of this great track. In Jesus' name, boogity-boogity-boogity. Amen.": Pastor Joe Nelms, in a pre-race prayer before a NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Nashville.
-"Reality hits you hard, bro.": Phoenix native George Lindell explaining a car crash he was involved in back in September.
-"I'm just hoping the coach doesn't dismiss me.": Ohio State president Gordon Gee, when asked whether he would fire Jim Tressel back in March.
Trial of the Year: The Trial of Casey Anthony
This past summer, the majority of Americans were fascinated by the trial of Casey Anthony, a Florida native suspected of killing her young daughter Caylee Anthony back in 2008. It was a very passionate trial, with hundreds of pieces of evidence, multiple hours of testimony and media coverage that could rival the O.J. Simpson trial in its media coverage. In the end, the group of 12 jurors assigned to this trial finally made a decision, and it wasn't a very popular one to say the least.While the court of public opinion had ruled Anthony guilty of all crimes, the jury only found her guilty of four misdemeanor charges, including the fact that she provided false evidence to police. What they did not find Anthony guilty in, however, was the biggest charge of all: first degree guilty of Caylee, citing the fact that the prosecution failed to provide ample enough evidence.
Anthony ended up being sentenced to jail for one year and $1,000 fine to each of the four counts that she was found guilty in. He ended up being released after ten days. And while Anthony's punishment for the crime was much less severe than most people (and Nancy Grace), the fact that she has become a social pariah as a result of the trial is punishment enough. Let's just say that the rest of her life will not be spent as well as she would have liked it to be compared to, say, four years earlier.
Movies of the Year: Hey, wasn't 2011 a great year of movies? I mean, sure, the blockbusters were as memorable as last year when films like "Inception" and "Toy Story 3" came out. And, sure, there were a helluva lot of bad sequels/prequels/remakes made all over the place. But if you look past that films like "Jack and Jill" and "Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star," there were really quite a bit of gems in between all that crap. Consider:
-"The Artist"
-"The Tree of Life"
-"The Descendants"
-"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
-"Melancholia"
-"Moneyball"
-"War Horse"
-"Hugo"
-"Drive"
-"A Separation"
-"Take Shelter"
-"Margaret"
-"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
-"Martha Marcy May Marlene"
-"Rango"
-"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
-"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"
-"Fast Five"
My "I'm an Idiot" Moment of the Year: Heading into the 2011 NFL draft, I didn't think much of now Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. I mean, sure, he won the Heisman Trophy and led his Auburn Tigers to a national championship, but I didn't think that his skillsets would transition well into the pros, and that he had quite a lot of things left to do in order to develop. On the May 2nd edition of "Random Thoughts," I even jokingly said the following: "Cam Newton: bust, or greatest bust? Time will tell."Well, over 4,500 total yards, and 34 total touchdowns later (including the rookie passing yards record and the NFL's single season record for rushing touchdowns by a QB), Newton has certainly proven me wrong, and I not ashamed to admit so. In 2011, at least, this 22 year old athlete has been nothing that could be considered a "bust."
Product of the Year: The iPad 2
To borrow a joke from "Saturday Night Live" star Seth Meyers, Apple really is the king at making your Christmas presents seems quickly obsolete. At the one year anniversary of the launch of their original tablet creation, the tech company (with Steve Jobs still as its CEO) released its successor, the iPad 2. The iPad 2, though not much different than its older brother, still had many aspects to it that the original iPad didn't have, like a thinner design and the actual ability to use Flash Player. And because it was the newest product from Apple, the king of hyping up their own products, a bunch of people responded by by a bunch of it, becoming one of the company's high selling gadgets of all time and still currently putting its rivals in the tablet industry to shame.
-Runner-ups: The Amazon Kindle Fire, the iPhone 4S, the Nintendo 3DS, the Samsung Galaxy S2 phone
Social Media Sites of the Year: Twitter
If 2010 was the year of Facebook, with Mark Zuckerberg earning TIME's Person of the Year honors and the website's creation story being turned into an Academy Award winning movie, then 2011 was arguably the year of its 140 character counterpart, Twitter.What started out as this simple idea that turned into an obsession by many has become one of the most important tools in the media in years. Not only has Twitter become the ever increased source of breaking news and live updates from around the world, the platform was also used as the source of many important events such as the Arab Springs uprisings, the Japanese earthquake (where it was used as a way for loved ones to contact each other) even Occupy Wall Street. In addition, 2011 also saw Twitter being the host to May's Osama bin Laden raid (where one man by the name of Sohaib Athar accidentally live-tweeted the whole thing), and the beginning of the Anthony Weiner scandal (when Weiner unintentionally tweeted a picture of his crotch to followers). Plus, unlike Facebook, Twitter has probably yet to peak as a website. The same can probably not be said for Zuckerberg's creation, which has been constantly criticized for its invasion of privacy and its constant changes, to name a few.
Deaths of the Year (people): As with every year, 2011 was filled with plenty of notable deaths year-round. The list of those we lost include: former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, actress Elizabeth Taylor, "Family Circus" creator Bill Keane, Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, Indy car racer Dan Wheldon, actress Jane Russell, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, North Korea dictator Kim Jong-il, Velvet Revolution leader Vaclav Havel, boxer Joe Frazier, former First Lady Betty Ford, singer Amy Winehouse, and many, many, many more.
Deaths of the Year (products): The following are a list of some of the major gadgets, gizmos, and even websites that we lost in 2011:
-The Microsoft Zune
-The "Guitar Hero" game series
-Qwikster (gone before it even had a chance)
-The Flip Camera
-Adobe Flash Player on mobile devices
-Google Buzz
-The HP Touchpad
-The Apple MobileMe
-170 of the 350 daily deal sites online
Politicians of the Year:Barack Obama
Mitt Romney
Ron Paul
Herman Cain
Scott Walker
Paul Ryan
Rick Perry
Newt Gingrich
Michelle Bachmann
Muammar Gaddafi
Hosni Mubarak
Rick Santorum
John Huntsman
Anthony Weiner
Jon Kyl
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Mario Monti
Album of the Year: Adele, "21"
Was it as good as some of the other great albums to be released this year? Probably not, but I chose Adele's second studio album (released in mid-January) because it was one of the few great albums this year to meet success on a commercial scale as much as it did on a critical scale. Not only has it reached multi-platinum status in 17 different countries, but two of the album's singles, "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone Like You," became two of the most beloved and mass-appealing songs of the year, each peaking in multiple sales charts for weeks on end. It's also earned "Best Of" honors from publications like TIME, Rolling Stone, and Amazon, and earned Adele six Grammy nominations, including "Song of the Year" and "Album of the Year." It was like this year's "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below," and for that, I feel it deserves top honors slightly more than other albums.
-Other notable albums: Bon Iver, "Bon Iver, Bon Iver"; Kanye West and Jay-Z "Watch the Throne"; The Beastie Boys, "Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2"; PJ Harvey, "Let England Shake"; Foo Fighters, "Wasting Light"; St. Vincent, "Strange Mary"; Frank Ocean, "Nostalgia, Ultra"; Florence and the Machines, "Ceremonials"; Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"; tUnE-yArDs, "w h o k i l l"; Drake, "Take Care," to name a few
Songs of the Year: I didn't feel like picking out a "Song of the Year" this time around, so here's a list combining both some of the year's best songs as well as some of its most popular
-Adele, "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone Like You"
-LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem"
-Foster the People, "Pumped Up Kicks"
-Jay-Z and Kanye West, "Otis"
-Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass"
-Tyler the Creator, "Yonkers"
-Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"
-Kanye West, "All of the Lights"
- Katy Perry, "Fireworks"
-Kreayshawn, "Gucci Gucci"
-Rebecca Black, "Friday"
-Drake, "Marvin's Room"
Wedding of the Year: The Marriage of Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and Wife Catherine Middleton
Did you expect any other selection? This royal wedding, pairing the son of the now deceased Diana, Princess of Wales, and the daughter of a millionaire business owner, was one of the biggest news stories this past April, with approximately two billion people from around the world reportedly tuning on their television sets just so they can see the young couple go through with the big moment. But it wasn't just this joining together of the couple in matrimony that this wedding will be remembered by. It will also be remembered for the royal family and their many crazy fashion gear and, of course, for Pippa Middleton (Kate's sister) whose plump (and allegedly padded) derriere arguably stole the spotlight from her sister and turned her into some sort of a sex symbol in Britain, as well as one of the country's newest interest among the tabloids.The wedding was supposed to be reminiscent of a fairy tale, and it ended up being as pitch-perfect as the royal family would have wanted it to be.
Divorce of the Year: Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries
It was supposed to be a "fairy tale" marriage, yet only ended up as a fairy tale to E! with the increase in ratings of "Khloe and Kim Take New York." Hopefully, this divorce becomes the start of a sharp decline of importance for the affluently-raised Armenian.
-Runner-up: Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony
Scandals of the Year:
-Sports: The Penn State Scandal
It was the scandal that shocked both the college football and a nation, and one that instantly ruined the reputation of one of the previously most-beloved figures in college football. On November 4th, Pennsylvania's Attorney General Linda Kelly indicted Jerry Sandusky, the former defensive coordinator to the Penn State football team, on at least 40 charges of abusing minors since the 1980s. One of the most notable incidents of molestation came in March of 2002, when now Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary found Sandusky raping a ten year old boy in the shower, and then told the story to head football coach Joe Paterno. The legendary football coach ended up telling the story to some of the school's higher ups, including school AD Tim Curley, school president Graham Spanier and vice president Gary Schultz, who kept the story to themselves.
Once news of this became released to the public, and people became angry by how little the school had done to stop Sandusky, a public outcry began, one which resulting in the school firing Paterno (along with Curley, Schultz, and Spanier) and putting McQueary on administrative lead. The story was only made worse for the university when in the hours after the school had announced Paterno's firing, a silly riot had begun by the student body. This riot would last for hours and resulted in massive amounts of property damage, a moment in time that many will have engrained of the school for many years to come. Since the incident, Sandusky has received more charges of abuse in a trial whose hearings began on December 16th, and the school is being under investigation by the federal government of whether they violated the Clery Act when they failed to report Sandusky's crimes. It's a sad and disgusting story, and if Sandusky is proven to have been found guilty of these crimes (which I am most certain that they will), then it will at least put a proper ending to it all.
-Politics: Anthony Weiner's Resignation and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Love Child (tie)
Two politicians, each caught of getting in extracurricular activities that they never should have took part of in the first place. The first, Anthony Weiner (probably the most appropriate last name for a politician ever to be involved in a sex scandal) was caught sending lewd photos of himself to a woman and resigned in disgrace weeks later in mid-June. The second, Schwarzenegger, was discovered to have fathered the son of his family's longtime maid over a decade ago only to be exposed when news came out of he and his longtime wife, Maria Shriver, divorced after he told her the news. Guess it just goes to show you: for as long as there are men in power, there will always be a new story of extra-marital affairs on the side.
-Business: The NewsCorp Phone-Hacking Scandal
If there wasn't enough evidence before the scandal that Rupert Murdoch may just be the real-life version of Mr. Burns, then this scandal proved to be the real icing on the cake. Murdoch, along with his British tabloid News of the World, fell under investigation this year when news broke that one investigator for the paper had been hacking the phone of the family of murdered 13 year old Milly Dowler, and even deleting some of the family's voice mail to make rooms for one that could possibly give the paper a new story to report on the case, giving Dowler's family the naive hope that she was still alive. This story led to the official end of News of the World after 168 years of publication, a hearing involving Murdoch in July, and an investigation that's still ongoing. And they say that the British tabloids couldn't possibly get any worse?
-Entertainment: The Escapades of Charlie Sheen
On the one hand, it cost the man his job as star of "Two and a Half Men" and turned Sheen into a sad laughingstock for a few months. On the other hand, it gave the world an entertaining trainwreck to get distracted by, so I guess we have to thank Sheen for that.
Video Game of the Year: "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim"
It's the game that launched several "...but then I took an arrow to the knee" jokes on the Internet. But aside from the funny little meme it created "Skyrim" was also a great achievement in gaming, both in execution and in design (despite some technical glitches to it). The story is excellent, the animation is pristine, and it's very addicting (as all great games should be). If there's any game from this past year that it would be okay to waste hours upon hours on, it's this one.
TV Advertisement of the Year: Volkswaggen: "The Force"
Proving that a commercial can be great even if you have an idea as simple as the one that the advertisement gurus had when they came up with this.
Comebacks of the Year:
-Sports: Lance Berkman
At the end of the 2010 season, it seemed like this multiple time MLB All Star's career was reaching its twilight. Not only did his stats drop to career lows in multiple categories, including average, home runs, and RBIs, but when the St. Louis Cardinals aquired him as a free agent in the offseason, it was more of a move to secure a bat in case of an injury to one of their expected starters. But during 2011, Berkman did basically everything to prove his doubters. When team left fielder Matt Holiday got injured at the start of the season, Berkman took over as starter and never looked back, becoming one of the National League leaders in home runs and RBIs. He kept a starting position throughout the season, moving to right field once Holliday became healthy, and ended up finishing the season with his best stats since 2008. In addition, Berkman also earned his sixth career spot into the National League's All Star roster this past July, and helped his Cardinals to win the World Series this past October (the first World Series victory of his career) by hitting a .313 average and 11 RBIs in the postseason.
-Entertainment: The 1990s
It seems that everywhere you look, children of the 1990s have begun to have begun to see their nostalgia take over by having many of the things that they used to love brought back to life. In fashion, we're seeing some of the trends from the '90s making a comeback, while in television, networks are slowly starting to attract the taste of their younger targets in the coveted 18-49 demo by catering programs that are specific to them. On MTV, the Mike Judge comedy "Beavis and Butt-head" was brought back to the airwaves after a 14 year hiatus, along with the music video program "120 Minutes." Meanwhile, VH1 decided to suddenly bring back "Pop Up Video" while Nickelodeon decided to create a new late-night block on sister-network TeeNick called "The '90s Are All That," a line-up consisting of old Nick programs from that decade including "Rugrats," "All That," "Hey Arnold!" and more. And so far, the target demographic has responded back with enthusiasm, with "Beavis and Butt-head" getting over 3 million viewers for the season premiere, and with Nickelodeon's 1990s revival line-up creating an audience hundreds of times bigger than what previously aired on TeeNick. For now, at least, this trend is here to stay.
-Politics: Newt Gingrich
During the summer, many thought that Gingrich's campaign for President in 2012 was dead, finishing at the bottom of multiple polls and even losing his entire senior campaign finance staff. At the beginning of December, he was on top of the Republican polls. His poll numbers have been gotten back to falling down, but at least the former Speaker in the House proved that there's a modern Turtle and the Hare story ready to be seen in politics.
-Health-Wise: Gabriel Giffords
In early January, the entire United States was shocked by a story coming out of Tucson, Arizona, when Giffords (then a newly re-elected U.S. representative) and eighth other people were shot at by a mentally-ill man by the name of Jarred Loughtner. Six of those nine shot at were killed, yet Giffords was among those that remained alive, but with a bullet penetrating her brain. Since then, Giffords has miraculously recovered from the tragedy, beginning with her condition being upgraded to "good" in late January, to officially being released from the hospital in June, to sitting on a seat this past November, being interviewed by Diane Sawyer and saying that she was feeling well. It's a very inspirational story, and we all look forward to seeing Giffords making a full recovery and returning back to her job as congresswoman as soon as possible.
Downfalls of the Year:
-Sports: Joe Paterno
The Penn State football coach went from being one of the institution's most respected individuals, passing Eddie Robinson's record for most all-time victories, to a disgrace head coach firing for keeping something as dark as his former defensive coordinator raping a child under wraps for nearly a decade.
- Business: Netflix
For companies, it can take years to build a great reputation and only a short while to kill it. No better example of this came this year when Netflix CEO Reed Hastings made two blundering decisions that would cost both the companies goodwill, and it's profits.First, in July, CEO Reed Hastings made arguably the biggest business blunder of the year when it announced that it will raise it would raise the cost of its DVD-rental and instant streaming service by as much as 60%, from $8.99 a month to a less tantalizing $15.99 a month. Then, in September, it announced that it would separate its DVD-rental service into a separate company called Qwikster, only to end the plan following negative reviews from subscribers. From the company's perspective, it was pretty easy to see why they would make such a move (bigger focus towards streaming, failed negotiations with studios like Sony and Starz), but for subscribers that had been used to their low monthly fees, they would have none of that. As a result, nearly 1 million people gave up on NetFlix, while stocks have dropped considerably and will probably continue to drop throughout next year as well. The company will probably bounce back, but for them 2011 will always remain one of its "dark ages."
-Politics: Every politicians caught in a sexual affair this year, and there has been plenty of that.
-Web-Related: Groupon
Since becoming public in February, the king of coupon websites' stock has been constantly spiraling downward, falling well below their official offering of $20 as of November. Will it have a rebound year in 2012, or will it join the fate of nearly 170 of its other competitors, and disappear? Time will tell.
-Fashion: John Galliano
Once the top fashion designer for Dior, Galliano made headlines this year for being caught on camera multiple times (including one instance at a Paris bar) under the influence and making several anti-Semetic remarks, all while professing his love towards Adolf Hitler. Suddenly, his fall from grace began, as he was not only fired by Dior but also fined by a French court 6,000 euros for his remarks. Now, this once fashion's career has taken a dark tailspin, probably never to recover.
Internet Meme of the Year: Planking
It's a concept that's so simple, you literally don't have to make any movement to do so. Just simply lie down like a plank on top of any object. And yet, despite its simplicity, the act of planking became one of the Internet's top phenomenoms in 2011, with thousands all over the world posting their own versions of pranking online (some can be seen by clicking here, here, or here). In addition, planking also ended up spawning many other different trends, including owling and even batmanning. Was the trend stupid? Yep. Was it pointless? Uh huh. Will it be a trend that future generations will roll their eyes at when they hear about it? Oh, most definitely. But then again, aren't all Internet memes pretty much like this?
-Runner-ups: Paula Deen Riding Things, We are the 99%, Princess Beatrice's Hat, Hipster Ariel, Hipster Cop, Chemistry Cat, Steve Buscemeyes, Zuckerberg Note Pass, Better Drink My Own Piss, Thome Yorke Dance Remixes, eHarmony Video Bio.
Failed Prediction of the Year: The May 21st Apocalypse
All throughout the month of May, then 89 year old Harold Camping and his Christian radio company Family Radio spent his entire time proclaiming to the entire country that the world was coming to an end on the 21st of the month at 6 p.m. based on biblical calculations that he had made earlier in the year. Unfortunately, like most things in life, the hype was better than the end result, as May 21st came with no apocalypse in sight (and also on his revised rapture prediction of October 21st). As a result, Camping became a laughingstock by many, yet also a target of rage by those who actually believed in his prophecy. If that weren't bad enough, Camping also suffered a stroke on June 14th. Perhaps this was a sign from the higher power to stop predicting the Rapture for good?
Pictures of the Year:Obama and Top U.S. Officials in the Situation Room During the Bin Laden Raid
Muammar Gaddafi's Dead Body
Father Remembers Dead Son at 9/11 Memorial
New York Firefighters Celebrating the Death of Bin Laden
The Vancouver Riot Couple
New York Skyline During 10th Anniversary of 9/11
Sky View of Japanese Tsunami
Japanese Earthquake Causes Tsunami
The Final Space Shuttle Landing
Cop Spraying Protesters At Occupy UC Davis
Hurricane Irene
Chicago's Lake Shore Drive After February's Blizzard
Bleeding Protester at Occupy Wall Street
Dust Storm in Phoenix, Arizona
Burning Building During London Riots
Bullfrog Hopping During Soccer Game
Alvaro Bautista Riding in Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix
Couple Hugging Each Other After Joplin, Missouri Tornado
A Decapitating Cow Corpse Near Kenyan-Somalian Border
Rutgers Player Eric Legrand Back in Sidelines
Leaked Pictures of the Year: Nude Photos of Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively
At least two examples in this world of sexting being a good thing.
Gaffe-Maker of the Year: Herman Cain
One of the greatest gifts to have come as a result of the start of the race for the Republican nomination for President has been the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza himself, Herman Cain, who this year gave us plenty of fantastic gaffes that would even make Sarah Palin shake her head. Whether his graceful stupidity when it came towards foreign policy (see these clips on how he would've handled the situation in Libya, or his thoughts on foreign policy issue in "Uzbekki-bekki-bekki-stan" as two examples), his indecision on abortion, or even saying that the Declaration of Independence was part of the Constitution, it's hard to believe that such a man was even a front-runner in the Presidential race to begin with. Sadly, Herman Cain officially ended his campaign earlier this December. amidst rumors of a longtime affair and multiple sexual harassment cases. The fact that he ended his campaign by quoting a Pokemon movie from 1999 just makes his departure even more bittersweet.
-Runner-ups: Former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin for her botching of Paul Revere's famous ride, Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann for confusing John Wayne with John Wayne Gacy, Texas governor Rick Perry for messing up the date of the American revolution by two centuries, and Vice President Joe Biden for his ill-conceived rape statement.
Entrance of the Year: Lady Gaga in an Egg During the 2011 Grammys
That women just seems to love attention, doesn't she?
Sports Moments of the Year:
-Japan Defeating the U.S. to Win the FIFA Women's World Cup
A thrilling game that led to one of the year's biggest socce upsets. The fact that it came just months after the tragic earthquake makes the ending much more Hollywood-esque.
- The Green Bay Packers Winning Super Bowl XLV
...and Aaron Rodgers finally took the big #4 monkey off his back.
-Drew Brees Passes Dan Marino's Single Season NFL Passing Record
You know that the NFL has developed into a passing league when there's expected to be at least one more passer (Tom Brady) set to pass the same record in the next few days.
-Game Six of the 2011 World Series
You know those moments in sports when you feel like you're watching an unforgettable classic unfolding? This is how over 21 million people felt this past October when they watched this game being played. The Texas Rangers were one strike away twice from winning the World Series, yet each and every time the Cardinals ended up tying the game. The greatest MLB playoff in a very long time ended with a solo shot by Cardinals third baseman David Freese in the bottom of the 11th to give his team a 10-9 win to send the series into a seventh game, which St. Louis ended up winning. Speaking of MLB instant classics...
-The Final Day of the 2011 MLB Regular Season
If only more regular season games were as exciting and as important as the ones we saw on September 28th.
-The LA Dodgers Filing For Bankruptcy
Take note, kids. This is why you should never own a team with your spouse without a prenuptial agreement in place.
- The NFL and NBA Lockouts
Luckily, both lockouts were able to finish just in time before it had gotten too late. The NFL only saw the Hall of Fame game cancelled, while the NBA season was pushed back to Christmas (ironically, around the time when most basketball fans start paying attention to the league). But we'll never forget the highlights and lowlights that became before those two lockouts ended, including a Minnesota judge stopping the NFL owners from receiving TV money until the lockout was over, the terrible leaderships of Billy Hunter and David Stern in the NBA, and so much more.
-The Continuation of Conference Realignment in College Football
Texas A&M and Missouri to the SEC, West Virginia and TCU to the Big 12, Syracuse and Pittsburgh to the ACC...looks like it was just about the money after all.
-College Football Scandals in Ohio State, North Carolina, Miami, and Penn State
You know it's been a bad scandalous year in college football when a coach resigns for keeping knowledge of players receiving illegal benefits secret, and that's not even close to the trouble that other schools got into.
-Auburn Wins the BCS National Championship
I'm sure Cam Newton gave Michael Dyer a warm reward in the days following this game.
-Derek Jeter's 3000th Hit
The first Yankee to accomplish such a feat, adding on to his already oversized appeal.
-Peyton Manning Out for the Season Due to Neck Surgery
It just goes to show you how important this man was to the Colts when his team would start the season 0-13 without him. Now, if the Colts get the #1 pick and draft Andrew Luck, there's even a chance that the team he once led to a Super Bowl win in 2006 might actually trade him, proving once again just how cruel the NFL can sometimes be to its players.
-Rory McIlroy Wins the 2011 U.S. Open
...alll while setting the tournament's 72 hole scoring record at 16 under par in the process. I'd say that was a pretty good rebound for the 22 year old phenom after blowing the Masters two months earlier.
-The Dallas Mavericks Winning the NBA Title
Looks like Miami's Big Three will have to wait another year to make their multiple championships proclamation come true.
-The Boston Bruins Winning the Stanley Cup Title
The bad news: the return of the feeling of superiority for Boston sports fans.
-UConn Winning the NCAA Basketball Tournament
The Huskies, led by Tournament MVP Kemba Walker, capped off its eleven game win streak to end the season (one that also included a Big East tournament title) with a 53-41 victory over Butler.
-20 Year Old Trevor Bayne Winning the Daytona 500
Winning the biggest NASCAR event of the year, yet still not being able to celebrate win a drink because he's still under the age limit. Oh, the cruel irony!
Animal of the Year: Hawkeye the Dog
who got in the news this past August for this heartbreaking moment, in which he stood laying by the coffin of his owner, Navy SEAL Jon Tumlinson (killed along with 22 other soldiers during that month's famous helicopter bombing in Afghanistan), and stood there until the memorial service finally came to a close. It was a very poignant moment, and one that proved (in a very extreme way, mind you) how dogs really are "man's best friend."\
Name Change of the Year: Ron Artest to "Metta World Peace"
The many ways in which this man can surprise with his zaniness seems endless at this point.
Execution of the Year: Troy Davis
Congressional Gridlock of the Year: Negotiations for Government Shutdown and Debt Ceiling Deal (tie)
Two examples of Madisonian democracy at its ugliest.
Stories of the Year:
- The Biggest Baby-Daddy Drama: 20 Year Old Woman Files Paternity Lawsuit on Justin Bieber
Makes you wonder just how much thought the woman put into this, knowing that she might risk statuary rape charges for fathering a child by having sex with a minor.
- The Most Religious: Pope John Paul II Receives Beatification
I could've just as easily chosen the story of the first American Catholic bishop charged with sex abuse cover-up, but I'm sure the Catholic Church has took enough beatings as of late. So, I'm going to end this year with a more positive note, about one of the most popular popes of all time taking one step closer to sainthood.
- The Most Tragic Animal Story: 73 Exotic Animals Killed in Ohio After Owner Sets Them Free
Better to die this way then captivated in some zoo, bored out of their minds. That is for certain.
-The Worst Natural Disaster- U.S.: (tie) April's Southern Tornado and May's Joplin, Missouri Tornado
Hundreds killed and countless lives affected. Add this with this year's drought in Texas, and the flood that occurred in the Mississippi River over the spring, and this has been not been Mother Nature's kindest year in the states, to say the least.
- The Worst Natural Disaster-International: March's 9.8 Magnitude Earthquake in Japan
The earthquake may have lasted for six minutes, but the results of it were catastrophic to a nation that still hasn't fully recovered from it all.
-The Better Than Expected Natural Disaster: Hurricane Irene
Sure, it still caused some damage across the Eastern seaboard. But considering how it ended up being far better than the apocalyptic hurricane that the media had hyped it up to be, I'd say that this country came out of the hurricane pretty good in the end.
- The One That Almost Put a Major Economic Figure Into a Prison Sentence: The Dominique-Strauss Khan Rape Allegation
The former head of the International Monetary Fund was eventually free of his charges of rape filed by a New York hotel maid in May after the same maid ended up confessing that her story was a hoax.
-The Biggest Conspiracy: Beyonce's Baby Bump
So, apparently, there's a rumor going around that the singer is faking the baby bump that she famously revealed at the MTV Music Awards, and that she's actually not pregnant after all. Yeah...
-Best Real-Life Portrayal of Character: Tracy Morgan Apologizes For Homophobic Rant
Looks like Tracy Morgan and Tracy Jordan from "30 Rock" aren't so different after all.
-The Best Election: Former Fort Wayne, Indiana Winner Harry Baals Win Online Poll in Building Naming Contest
Such a shame that the city didn't honor the agreement. Although, really...what's the point of putting Harry Baals in a building name contest and not go through the repercussions if it does win? Whatever happened to "democracy," Fort Wayne?
- The Most Economically Inconvenient: Standard and Poor Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating to AA+ As a Result of Debt Ceiling Deal
Thanks, 112th Congress!
- The Worst Massacre: Over 70 People Killed in Massacre at Oslo, Norway By Anders Breivik
What else is there to say? Just a tragic story, and it's a shame that it had to happen in such a beautiful country.
-The Freest: Amanda Knox Released From Prison
Looks like Hayden Panetierre has got a new movie to shoot.
-The Biggest Breakthrough in the War on Terror: The United States Kills Osama Bin Laden
One of the most defining moments in Barack Obama's presidency, and one the best stories to come out in the War on Terror since the September 11th terrorist attacks, and it was all thanks to six brave Navy SEALS and one dog infiltrating Bin Laden's compound, and then killing him.
- The Best Medical Breakthrough: Scientists Use Cloning to Make Human Stem Cells
It's not the real thing, but it's close.
- The Most Potentially Eath-Shattering Scientific Finding That Has Yet to be Disproven: Scientists Find That Neutrinos Are Faster Than Speed of Light
The ghost of Albert Einstein must be feeling pretty nervous right about now.
-The Strangest Discovery: Floridians Find Large Lego Man Floating Ashore to Beach
The dream of every five year old Lego fan come true.
-Overall, Not a Great Day for Him to Say the Least: Brett Cummins, Arkansas TV Weatherman, Found With Naked Dead Man, Quits His Job
I'm guess his day didn't started out pretty cloudy with a slight chance of depression.
- The One That Caused a Lot of People to Chant Out Percentages: Occupy Wall Street
It has done and will probably do absolutely nothing outside of making a few people be excited to sleep in tent gatherings for a month, but at least it gave us this.
-The Biggest "F-You" Move: Occupy Denver Elects Dog as Mayor
She's still more of a person that corporations would want you to believe.
-The End of an Era: Final United States Troops Exit Iraq, Ending Nine Year Long War
You're on your own now, Iraq. Let's hope that you don't screw it up.
-The Other End of an Era: The Final U.S. Space Shuttle Mission
Houston, we have closure.
-The Most Revolutionary: The Arab Springs
Without a doubt, the biggest story to have happened in 2011. Three government overthrown, a whole entire region seeing its people protesting against their oppression, and a movement that you could pinpoint as the start of "The Year of the Protesters." And to think, it might not have happened had a 26 year old vendor in Tunisia by the name of Mohamed Bouazizi not had his cart stolen by a policewoman in December 2010...
And that's the way the 2011 cookie crumbled. If there's any other awards and honors that you wish to give that I left out, just feel free to express your mind about it in the comments. Be sure to stop by New Year's Day as we here at The mj15 Blog celebrate the start of 2012 with the exciting conclusion to "End of the Year," as I reveal to you my picks for the year's top individual newsmakers, including the reveal of my pick for 2011's Person of the Year.Until then, enjoy celebrating your New Year's Eve celebration!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15
If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.
One of the greatest gifts to have come as a result of the start of the race for the Republican nomination for President has been the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza himself, Herman Cain, who this year gave us plenty of fantastic gaffes that would even make Sarah Palin shake her head. Whether his graceful stupidity when it came towards foreign policy (see these clips on how he would've handled the situation in Libya, or his thoughts on foreign policy issue in "Uzbekki-bekki-bekki-stan" as two examples), his indecision on abortion, or even saying that the Declaration of Independence was part of the Constitution, it's hard to believe that such a man was even a front-runner in the Presidential race to begin with. Sadly, Herman Cain officially ended his campaign earlier this December. amidst rumors of a longtime affair and multiple sexual harassment cases. The fact that he ended his campaign by quoting a Pokemon movie from 1999 just makes his departure even more bittersweet.
-Runner-ups: Former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin for her botching of Paul Revere's famous ride, Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann for confusing John Wayne with John Wayne Gacy, Texas governor Rick Perry for messing up the date of the American revolution by two centuries, and Vice President Joe Biden for his ill-conceived rape statement.
Entrance of the Year: Lady Gaga in an Egg During the 2011 Grammys
That women just seems to love attention, doesn't she?
Sports Moments of the Year:
-Japan Defeating the U.S. to Win the FIFA Women's World Cup
A thrilling game that led to one of the year's biggest socce upsets. The fact that it came just months after the tragic earthquake makes the ending much more Hollywood-esque.
- The Green Bay Packers Winning Super Bowl XLV
...and Aaron Rodgers finally took the big #4 monkey off his back.
-Drew Brees Passes Dan Marino's Single Season NFL Passing Record
You know that the NFL has developed into a passing league when there's expected to be at least one more passer (Tom Brady) set to pass the same record in the next few days.
-Game Six of the 2011 World Series
You know those moments in sports when you feel like you're watching an unforgettable classic unfolding? This is how over 21 million people felt this past October when they watched this game being played. The Texas Rangers were one strike away twice from winning the World Series, yet each and every time the Cardinals ended up tying the game. The greatest MLB playoff in a very long time ended with a solo shot by Cardinals third baseman David Freese in the bottom of the 11th to give his team a 10-9 win to send the series into a seventh game, which St. Louis ended up winning. Speaking of MLB instant classics...
-The Final Day of the 2011 MLB Regular Season
If only more regular season games were as exciting and as important as the ones we saw on September 28th.
-The LA Dodgers Filing For Bankruptcy
Take note, kids. This is why you should never own a team with your spouse without a prenuptial agreement in place.
- The NFL and NBA Lockouts
Luckily, both lockouts were able to finish just in time before it had gotten too late. The NFL only saw the Hall of Fame game cancelled, while the NBA season was pushed back to Christmas (ironically, around the time when most basketball fans start paying attention to the league). But we'll never forget the highlights and lowlights that became before those two lockouts ended, including a Minnesota judge stopping the NFL owners from receiving TV money until the lockout was over, the terrible leaderships of Billy Hunter and David Stern in the NBA, and so much more.
-The Continuation of Conference Realignment in College Football
Texas A&M and Missouri to the SEC, West Virginia and TCU to the Big 12, Syracuse and Pittsburgh to the ACC...looks like it was just about the money after all.
-College Football Scandals in Ohio State, North Carolina, Miami, and Penn State
You know it's been a bad scandalous year in college football when a coach resigns for keeping knowledge of players receiving illegal benefits secret, and that's not even close to the trouble that other schools got into.
-Auburn Wins the BCS National Championship
I'm sure Cam Newton gave Michael Dyer a warm reward in the days following this game.
-Derek Jeter's 3000th Hit
The first Yankee to accomplish such a feat, adding on to his already oversized appeal.
-Peyton Manning Out for the Season Due to Neck Surgery
It just goes to show you how important this man was to the Colts when his team would start the season 0-13 without him. Now, if the Colts get the #1 pick and draft Andrew Luck, there's even a chance that the team he once led to a Super Bowl win in 2006 might actually trade him, proving once again just how cruel the NFL can sometimes be to its players.
-Rory McIlroy Wins the 2011 U.S. Open
...alll while setting the tournament's 72 hole scoring record at 16 under par in the process. I'd say that was a pretty good rebound for the 22 year old phenom after blowing the Masters two months earlier.
-The Dallas Mavericks Winning the NBA Title
Looks like Miami's Big Three will have to wait another year to make their multiple championships proclamation come true.
-The Boston Bruins Winning the Stanley Cup Title
The bad news: the return of the feeling of superiority for Boston sports fans.
-UConn Winning the NCAA Basketball Tournament
The Huskies, led by Tournament MVP Kemba Walker, capped off its eleven game win streak to end the season (one that also included a Big East tournament title) with a 53-41 victory over Butler.
-20 Year Old Trevor Bayne Winning the Daytona 500
Winning the biggest NASCAR event of the year, yet still not being able to celebrate win a drink because he's still under the age limit. Oh, the cruel irony!
Animal of the Year: Hawkeye the Dog
who got in the news this past August for this heartbreaking moment, in which he stood laying by the coffin of his owner, Navy SEAL Jon Tumlinson (killed along with 22 other soldiers during that month's famous helicopter bombing in Afghanistan), and stood there until the memorial service finally came to a close. It was a very poignant moment, and one that proved (in a very extreme way, mind you) how dogs really are "man's best friend."\
Name Change of the Year: Ron Artest to "Metta World Peace"
The many ways in which this man can surprise with his zaniness seems endless at this point.
Execution of the Year: Troy Davis
Congressional Gridlock of the Year: Negotiations for Government Shutdown and Debt Ceiling Deal (tie)
Two examples of Madisonian democracy at its ugliest.
Stories of the Year:
- The Biggest Baby-Daddy Drama: 20 Year Old Woman Files Paternity Lawsuit on Justin Bieber
Makes you wonder just how much thought the woman put into this, knowing that she might risk statuary rape charges for fathering a child by having sex with a minor.
- The Most Religious: Pope John Paul II Receives Beatification
I could've just as easily chosen the story of the first American Catholic bishop charged with sex abuse cover-up, but I'm sure the Catholic Church has took enough beatings as of late. So, I'm going to end this year with a more positive note, about one of the most popular popes of all time taking one step closer to sainthood.
- The Most Tragic Animal Story: 73 Exotic Animals Killed in Ohio After Owner Sets Them Free
Better to die this way then captivated in some zoo, bored out of their minds. That is for certain.
-The Worst Natural Disaster- U.S.: (tie) April's Southern Tornado and May's Joplin, Missouri Tornado
Hundreds killed and countless lives affected. Add this with this year's drought in Texas, and the flood that occurred in the Mississippi River over the spring, and this has been not been Mother Nature's kindest year in the states, to say the least.
- The Worst Natural Disaster-International: March's 9.8 Magnitude Earthquake in Japan
The earthquake may have lasted for six minutes, but the results of it were catastrophic to a nation that still hasn't fully recovered from it all.
-The Better Than Expected Natural Disaster: Hurricane Irene
Sure, it still caused some damage across the Eastern seaboard. But considering how it ended up being far better than the apocalyptic hurricane that the media had hyped it up to be, I'd say that this country came out of the hurricane pretty good in the end.
- The One That Almost Put a Major Economic Figure Into a Prison Sentence: The Dominique-Strauss Khan Rape Allegation
The former head of the International Monetary Fund was eventually free of his charges of rape filed by a New York hotel maid in May after the same maid ended up confessing that her story was a hoax.
-The Biggest Conspiracy: Beyonce's Baby Bump
So, apparently, there's a rumor going around that the singer is faking the baby bump that she famously revealed at the MTV Music Awards, and that she's actually not pregnant after all. Yeah...
-Best Real-Life Portrayal of Character: Tracy Morgan Apologizes For Homophobic Rant
Looks like Tracy Morgan and Tracy Jordan from "30 Rock" aren't so different after all.
-The Best Election: Former Fort Wayne, Indiana Winner Harry Baals Win Online Poll in Building Naming Contest
Such a shame that the city didn't honor the agreement. Although, really...what's the point of putting Harry Baals in a building name contest and not go through the repercussions if it does win? Whatever happened to "democracy," Fort Wayne?
- The Most Economically Inconvenient: Standard and Poor Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating to AA+ As a Result of Debt Ceiling Deal
Thanks, 112th Congress!
- The Worst Massacre: Over 70 People Killed in Massacre at Oslo, Norway By Anders Breivik
What else is there to say? Just a tragic story, and it's a shame that it had to happen in such a beautiful country.
-The Freest: Amanda Knox Released From Prison
Looks like Hayden Panetierre has got a new movie to shoot.
-The Biggest Breakthrough in the War on Terror: The United States Kills Osama Bin Laden
One of the most defining moments in Barack Obama's presidency, and one the best stories to come out in the War on Terror since the September 11th terrorist attacks, and it was all thanks to six brave Navy SEALS and one dog infiltrating Bin Laden's compound, and then killing him.
- The Best Medical Breakthrough: Scientists Use Cloning to Make Human Stem Cells
It's not the real thing, but it's close.
- The Most Potentially Eath-Shattering Scientific Finding That Has Yet to be Disproven: Scientists Find That Neutrinos Are Faster Than Speed of Light
The ghost of Albert Einstein must be feeling pretty nervous right about now.
-The Strangest Discovery: Floridians Find Large Lego Man Floating Ashore to Beach
The dream of every five year old Lego fan come true.
-Overall, Not a Great Day for Him to Say the Least: Brett Cummins, Arkansas TV Weatherman, Found With Naked Dead Man, Quits His Job
I'm guess his day didn't started out pretty cloudy with a slight chance of depression.
- The One That Caused a Lot of People to Chant Out Percentages: Occupy Wall Street
It has done and will probably do absolutely nothing outside of making a few people be excited to sleep in tent gatherings for a month, but at least it gave us this.
-The Biggest "F-You" Move: Occupy Denver Elects Dog as Mayor
She's still more of a person that corporations would want you to believe.
-The End of an Era: Final United States Troops Exit Iraq, Ending Nine Year Long War
You're on your own now, Iraq. Let's hope that you don't screw it up.
-The Other End of an Era: The Final U.S. Space Shuttle Mission
Houston, we have closure.
-The Most Revolutionary: The Arab Springs
Without a doubt, the biggest story to have happened in 2011. Three government overthrown, a whole entire region seeing its people protesting against their oppression, and a movement that you could pinpoint as the start of "The Year of the Protesters." And to think, it might not have happened had a 26 year old vendor in Tunisia by the name of Mohamed Bouazizi not had his cart stolen by a policewoman in December 2010...
And that's the way the 2011 cookie crumbled. If there's any other awards and honors that you wish to give that I left out, just feel free to express your mind about it in the comments. Be sure to stop by New Year's Day as we here at The mj15 Blog celebrate the start of 2012 with the exciting conclusion to "End of the Year," as I reveal to you my picks for the year's top individual newsmakers, including the reveal of my pick for 2011's Person of the Year.Until then, enjoy celebrating your New Year's Eve celebration!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15
If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.
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