So rather than try to dish out another three or four posts, I am just going to shoot through this list real quick-like before the year ends, and I am starting The 100 Coolest Things of 2011.
Quick recap for you:
The 100th through 91st Coolest Things of the Year... Alabama's National Title... "Just Wright"... The Miz... Lotso Huggin' Bear... "The Pony Exce$$"... Big Al... "The Other Guys"... Jamie's Post... "Leap Year"... "Iron Man 2"
The 90th through 81s Coolest Things of the Year... "Live Like Your Dyin'"... Zoe's Kitchen.. "Red"... Daylight Donuts... "Death at a Funeral"... Sandra Bullock wins the Oscar... "Morning Glory"... "Undercover Boss"... AllState's Mayhem... "Unstoppable"
The 80th through 71st Coolest Things of the Year... "The Town"... "American Honey"... "The A-Team"... "Tron: Legacy"... Auburn's season... Glee does Queen... "The Wal-Mart Effect"... "The Wal-Mart Effect" Authors response... "Zombieland"... Middle Eastern Night
The 70th through 61st Coolest Things of the Year... Facebook DeFriended App... "Love the Way You Lie"... "Hawaii Five-O"... "Christine"... The Tipulator... "The Book of Eli"... "...featuring Norah Jones"... "Just the Way You Are"... The Candlelight Processional... "Kick-A**"
The 60th through 51st Coolest Things of the Year... Disney's Autism... SI's Playoff Push... "The Expendables"... Dixon's dinner... The New Orleans Saints... "The Fighter"... Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains... new Mickey Gloves... my favorite new hat... "Showgirls, Teen Wolves & Astro Zombies"
The 50th through 41st Coolest Things of the Year... "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part I"... Via Napoli... Stuff Christians Like... Lil Sister Ashley's ring... The Rev'rn Ty Coffey's ring... "Nothin' On You"... Audible.com... "How to Train Your Dragon"... "Under the Dome"... Chris Z's burgers
The 40th through 31st Coolest Things of the Year... Hide Yo Kids, Hide Yo Wife... "Firestarter"... Disney in July... "Tangled"... "Break Even"... Sara Barellis... Trey Cartledge... The Film Vault... Pablos... The Keys to the Kingdom Tour
30... "True Grit"
The Clinton Portis novel is a quick read, its narrative is light and well written, and its a great classic, little known western. And it was almost as good as...
29... "True Grit"
I was a little skeptical about this remake of the John Wayne classic, but just about everything about this movie works. Jeff Bridges is wonderful as Rooster Cogburn, while Hallie Steinfeld acts well above her age. Even Matt Damon makes a convincing cowpoke. Great film.
28... New Wookiee Baby
Wookiee had another one! Well, Mrs. Wookiee, anyway! Little Abby Grace... and the only reason this isn't higher is because this is his second one. Congrats, a year later!
27... New Mikey Baby
Mikey had a baby! Well, his woman, Ashleia did. Little Charlotte. Add that to Big Tom's kid, SyJo, and we've got half a future Deucette.
26... The Weekend with DeNick and DeLisa
Anytime we can go to the beach, its a good thing. And anytime we can go with friends, its also a good thing. Hence, spending the weekend with DeNick and DeLisa, and little DeGeorge in October, down on the Gulf Coast. Great food, comfy room, and just a whole lotta fun.
The books that are known as "masterworks" by King are "The Stand" and the "Dark Tower" series. Perhaps right under that is "Salem's Lot", and maybe even "The Shining"... but an underrated classic is "IT". Yes, its the one with the bad clown guy. Its huge, with a cast of kid characters who grow up to be adult characters, and the story is told in back and forth parallel... one chapter its 1957 and a few pages later, its 1985.
And the story is scary... yet, its more of a character study than anything. Bill Denborough, the future writer... Ben Hanscomb, the chunky kid turned manly man... Beverly Marsh, the abused girl turned abused woman... Ritchie Tozier, the class clown now and future... Stanley Uris, the local Jew who finds refuge in the group... Eddie Kaspbrak, the weakling both as a boy and as a man... and soon, Mike Hanlon, the black kid who makes a great addition to the group. Each kid has his/her own issues as a child, and those issues reflect their grown-up world... and they are all thrown back together when the horrific event that unites them as children brings them back as adults--namely, Pennywise the clown, an evil entity that exists in the sewers below the town of Derry, Maine.
Besides Pennywise, the kids also have to deal with the local school bully, Henry Bowers, and his cronies who, at first, are just your beat-em-up, money stealing bullies, but evolve into something a bit more sadistic. And you begin to see the grip that Pennywise has on the town and its citizens, as the whole town starts dying slowly... not the people, but the town itself.
Its a brilliant book, a great and meaningful story and though its big, its reads easy.
24... Pawn Stars
I will watch this show every time its on. Rick, Hoss, The Old Man and Chumlee make the 30 minutes its on just a little bit better... and who knew that there was such a market for pirate coins, or Civil War maps or old magazines? Addictive.
23... "Easy A"
It feels like every year there is one movie that I like a little more than I probably thought I would, and maybe than I should. In 2010, it was "Easy A". Emma Stone is a hoot as a high school chick named Olive (who names their kid Olive? Olivia, sure, but Olive?) who is branded unfairly as a harlot... and decides to use it to her financial advantage. Also starring Lisa Kudrow, Thomas Haden Church and a hilarious Amanda Bynes, who I dig, plus either Aly or AJ from the Disney duo Aly & AJ (not sure which one), and of course, Stanley Tucci. Everyone loves The Tuch.
22... Disney in February
What a great trip. Nine days in Disney, first with Little Sister Ashley and McQ, then on our own, then catching a ride with Snow White and her Sidekick Sarah, it was an awesome time. I can't elaborate, though, as it was 22 months ago, and I'm having a hard time remembering the details.
21... "Forget You" by Cee-Lo
Yes, I'll admit it. On my iPod, I've got all three versions, from "F&#( You" to "F-You" to "Forget You", and they all make me laugh. I tend to make "Forget You" the version I sing along to.
20... Red Mango
All natural frozen yogurt, I hope this shop sticks around when the Fro-Yo craze finally dies, which I think will be soon.
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| Its got a stellar cast, but the reason to watch this is almost entirely Jesse Eisenberg's performance. He makes this movie what it is. |
Its that Facebook movie! Everything about this movie clicks, from the script to the killer score by Trent Reznor to locale to the cast (even Justin Timberlake!) to the direction... and Jesse Eisenberg is brilliant as Facebook co-creator Mark Zuckerberg. Love love love this movie.
18... Sirius XM
When I got my new car, Red Robin, I was given a trial subscription to satellite radio. And I can only describe it by saying it revolutionized my radio experience in the same way that my iPod revolutionized my music listening habits, or DVR revolutionized my TV watching. I found it difficult to pick only 18 channels to program into the car, out of the 180+ or so... but ended up choosing gems like The Blend, which is pop and rock... and The Bridge, which is classic rock... and 20 on 20, which is modern hits... Coffeehouse, which is acoustic... and of course, the 60s channel, the 70s channel, the 80s channel, and the crown jewel of the radio, the 90s on 9. When you are traveling to work at 420 in the morning, and "Baby Got Back' comes on 90s on 9, its worth it.
Hootie! Hootie! Hootie! While I'm sure he's not ashamed of Hootie and the Blowfish, he probably does enjoy being known for more than just Hootie... so I'll give him the props he deserves. I've always enjoyed him and his talents, but his latest solo CD, "Charleston SC 1966" is rockin' awesome. He's countrified in every way, starting with the lead off single "The Come Back Song" to his ode to a sparky night with his woman, "Lucky". Great stuff.
16... "Waking Sleeping Beauty"
Telling the story of Disney's animation renaissance from 1984 to 1994--years that brought "The Little Mermaid" and "Lion King" and more--this documentary is pieced together from archival footage, personal video footage and old interviews. Don Hahn, a Disney producer, narrates,and if you are a Disney enthusiast and history buff like myself, this film is essential.
15... "Game Change"
Written by political journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, the book tells the story of the 2008 presidential election and more importantly the primaries. It opens up on Hillary Clinton, who was the heir apparent to the White House--she believed it so deeply that even before the primaries were run, she had secretly gotten her White House Transition Team ready to go. And then, this little Senator from Illinois, Barack Hussein Obama shows up... and not only steals the thunder, but takes the nom from Clinton and John Edwards, who's own issues are highlighted.
More than half of the book is dedicated to the Democratic race, but there is juice in the Republican side too, as it goes through the candidates and their failures to succeed, like Guiliani and Thompson, then it dives into the McCain and Palin race, plus the animosity that builds between them. Then it takes on the actual presidential race with juicy tidbits and stories, and does so with very little political slant. Great read.
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| I love the yellow speedy guy... I can deal with the triplets... the black bird is the bomb... however, I do hate that boomerangy one. |
I won't bother explaining this, because if you know, you know, if you don't you don't. But the amount of hours spent on this game number in the hundreds, easily.
13... "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum
Great song. Who doesn't love this song, even though its really about a drunk booty call.
12... The LOST Finale
It took six years to get here, and by this time, I just wanted a good ending. I wasn't even concerned with tying up all the loose ends (good thing too, because they weren't concerned about that either), I just wanted the story to wrap up nicely and with some point of satisfaction. Now, you could argue that it didn't come close, and it left too many things unanswered, and thats all valid thoughts... but I liked it. The second time I watched it, I loved it.
11... Starbucks ASM
After The Happiest Place in the Mall shut down and became Jihad Toys and IEDs, I had to find somewhere to go. I stayed at Starbucks part time, and was able to come on for what was essentially full time as an hourly barista, but some time around May, I was able to step up to management again. I became Melanie's assistant manager, and let me just brag and tell you, our store rules. Man, it feels good to be a gangsta.
So, that's 90 down... how about 10 more to go. Never fear. Its already written, I'll just need to tweak a few links and add a few pics. Another song, a few more movies, some Magic, a hot chick and more... just in time to get ready for The Coolest Things of 2011!
Hey, Elijah was born in 2010! Guess since it's our second and we live so far away and you never let us come see you, he didn't make the list. Tear. : )
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