Best things and stuff from 2011
Contents
It is coming up on the end of another year so I wanted to look back and give some “Best Of”
Events
Professionally: Started Spec Ops Technology
Location: Moved into Washington DC and the great neighborhood of Brookland
News
World: Crazy weather and 3 of American’s Enemies Died
Local: DC Earth Quake
Music
Best Indie Rock Album of the Year:
King of Limbs came through digital downloads and was amazing. Radiohead broke the mold by releasing without a label and doing it strictly digital. Oh and the music was awesome. Still listen to this on repeat…
Best Hip-Hop Album of the Year:
Officially Childish Gambino released the “full” album in Sept/Oct, but the singles were spattered on his blog since the beginning of the year. The lyrics are funny and introspective while being playful enough for the casual listener. The mixes of famous indie tunes in with hip-hop beats are phenomenal. I sound like a fanbois, but everyone I talk to hears about Camp.
Best “Make me Dance” Album of the Year:
I am not a dancer, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like dancing. I have to admit I almost tossed LCD Dance Yourself Clean on here, but it technically was released in 2010. Grrr…No worries as the backup was just as good in 2011. M83’s Hurry Up We’re Dreaming was awesome. Midnight City starts the playing of just a few chords and I want to bounce around. Backup here would be the Justice Album this year
Best Album of the Year I liked that no one else did:
Overseas I get big props for this album being in heavy rotation, but stateside he seems unknown. Come on you damn Yanks! Go take a listen! It seems that the music when shipped across the ocean is no longer appreciated which is despicable. Frank Ocean is pretty spiffy.
Moving Images
I hate movie theaters so I am going to list my movie that was accessible via Netflix rather than in a stinky, sticky, and noisy movie theater.
Crazy, Stupid, Love was a great movie I actually saw while flying. Usually the movies on planes are subpar and leaving me sleeping mid-way through. This one though had me intrigued and laughing most of the flight. Great show
For the TV Show of the year I am giving it a tie for the two shows that made me want to rush to my TV for Hulu. Bob’s Burgers is hilarious like a way most shows aren’t anymore. If you aren’t into animation then I recommend you go catch Community. Have you not watched either yet, SHAME ON YOU!
Tech News
OS Release: Debian Squeeze was a big release! I live on Debian when not tied to my Mac machines. What a great OS and the release really helped show that Ubuntu wasn’t the only game in town.
Application Release: Tor added greatly to the ability of uprisings to be coordinated and increased. As dictators around the world locked down their people’s access to the world, Tor gave them a secure gateway out. Images that helped fuel international support and dissidence came by means of an old US Navy project. Great technology that is now running everything from phones to routers.
Going to change the market in the coming year: Smartphones are so passe’ as altering technologies, but I disagree. They are coming into their own, but in 2012 they will be replacing technologies far and wide. Cameras, GPS, wireless hotspots, Credit Cards,
Phone: There were lots of phones this year, but iPhone still gets my nod as the phone of the year. Android isn’t wining on technology right now, its wining on price.
Computer: The 11″ MacBook Air has changed the way and where I do computing. What an amazing machine!
Tablet: There is the iPad and everything else. Sorry, but everything else still sucks.
Website I use more than anything: Reddit.com is my daily (or hourly) visit location. I see news breaking here WELL before major outlets. I am sure I could curate Twitter to do the same, but its too much work. I simply subscribe to the subreddit I am interested in and off I go. Wonderful platform for geeks and others.
Dumbest Things of the Year
Website: Google Plus or Qwickster
Merger: Skype to Microsoft or Autonomy to HP
Car:BMW M 1 Series…only because I want one so bad it hurts
Here is to 2012!
