It’s the end of 2009 (last few hours here in the UK, though Aussie Cynic’s probably already into 2010).
Every form of media has compiled lists upon lists, upon lists … so here’s mine for ‘09:
Best film: The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band) – Michael Haneke’s brilliant depiction of small village mentality; tense & gripping, yet without ever resorting to shock-tactics that schlock-horror lazily falls into. The best explanation why society & humanity needs to evolve & avoid atavism: the sins of the fathers SHALL be visited upon the sons.
Best TV drama: The Wire box-set, by a country mile. Brilliant screenplay, on-the-money dialogue, defining & colouring the ills of society through the drug dealers & police of Baltimore.
Best concert/gig: Kraftwerk at the Manchester Velodrome for Manchester International Festival. Close run thing, with Embrace & the Halle Orchestra creating heart-soaring music, but the German pioneers of electronica made me dance into oblivion.
Best album: not been big on buying music this year, but Mercury Prize nominated Sweet Billy Pilgrim’s ‘Twice Born Men’ – generally not my bag – was mellifluous, creamy music for the soul. Also bought Blakrok’s eponymous 1st album but only just getting to grips with this beauty – top-rate rapping (Raekwon, Mos Def, RZA, etc.) over heavy geetahhs – so will hold my decision on this one.
Best book: shamefully, I’ve hardly read many novels this year, constantly trying to keep up with newspapers/Sunday supplements with some kind of news OCD voracity. Sebastian Faulks’ ‘Engleby’ was a great discourse on human nature & awkwardness, but think David Peace’s novel (may have read on the cusp of ‘08-’09 so just slips in) ‘The Damned United’ on Brian Clough’s 44 day reign at Leeds United takes the plaudit, capturing the tortuous lines between genius, obsession & madness.
Best sporting event: tough one with Usain Bolt nonchalantly blowing away the best of the world in Beijing, England winning the Ashes against the Aussies in cricket over the summer. But being a parochial sort, I’ll go for Nottingham Forest humbling Manchester City, the richest football club in the world, on their own patch almost a year ago (3rd Jan, 2009). Forest beat City 3-0, & I was there gleefully singing ‘You might be rich, but you’re still sh*t’.
Any best bits (in whatever category you fancy) for 2009?
Most scandalist sports figure: Tiger Woods
Clinically Clueless´s last blog .."Auld Lang Syne" ~ James Taylor
Top 3 for me
Watching a couple of scallies rob the refreshments stall at Wembley during half time at the FA cup final then hand most of it out for free to the Everton fans – serve them right for charging six quid for a sandwich.
Catching and belting an Aussie git who tried to rob my headphones on a plane from Bangkok.
Best of all,
Being told “I’m pregnant” by my wife.
ahh, you old softy.
Congratulations to you & your wife.
Do you know whether it’s a girl or a boy, yet?
I didn’t want to know but my wife did, it’ll be a girl. Worrying for me as girls tend to wrap Dad around their little finger and I know I’ll be no different.
GIT,
Thank you for sharing about, “I’m pregnant.” Congratulations. You are breaking your image…that was really sweet.
Yes, but the other two fit and are funny.
CC
Clinically Clueless´s last blog ..What Awards???
Best part of 2009 for me was seeing Canada beat the US in the quarter finals at the World Junior’s Hockey Tournament on the last day of the year.
Sadly they got their revenge just 5 days later to win the Gold! – 2010 sucks so far!!
Angela in Canada´s last blog ..Merry Christmas to you all but a word of warning…..
LMAO!!! That was too funny.
Clinically Clueless´s last blog ..What Awards??? 
I’m sure there were highlights but none that out weigh me wanting to see the back of it.