Tuesday
16Dec2008
Best of 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at 11:01PM
Lists, lists, lists. Everyone doing 'em, so why not me? The 2007 list is here.
Best Record
Kings of Leon - Only by the Night
Well I can't say I've been blown away by any one record this year, but Kings of Leon are making very good music. I actually think - shock, horror! - that there are some good pop records in the charts at the moment, too.
Best Film
The Dark Knight
Well it was the year of the comic book movie. We had Iron Man, Hulk, Hell Boy II and Wanted (and those are just the ones off the top of my head). I'd say that Dark Knight wins out with Iron Man a close second. I also enjoyed Burn After Reading.
Best TV Show
The Wire - Series 5
The Wire is simply the best television programme ever made. Period.
Best Book
N/A
I've read no new fiction this year. I spent most of my time reading old John le Carré books and Graham Greene. I'll have to remedy this in '09.
Best Podcast
This American Life
This is probably the choice that has caused me to ponder most, as I listen to oodles of podcasts. But This American Life has provided the most memorable and beautiful moments. Subscribe, if you haven't already. Worthy mentions to The Collings and Herrin Podcast [sic], Sarcastic Gamer and Football Weekly.
Best Radio Show
Adam & Joe
Funny and creative. Brilliant, basically.
Best Video Game
Gears of War 2
It's been another cracking year for gaming. GTA4 was outstanding, Far Cry 2 was a surprisingly deep game, and Left 4 Dead (which I get for XMAS) looks great. Nothing quite topped GOW2 though. It's awesome. The art style is incredible. The level design spectacular. And the weapons rock. Epic.
Best Gadget
iPhone
I haven't got one. I can't quite give up my BlackBerry (or switch to O2). However the app-store has made the iPhone a serious proposition. The utility of the device - theoretical and realised - is astonishing. I will get one, eventually.
Best App
Fluid
I have adored this app all year. I have run GMail and Google Reader constantly using Fluid and it has made life much easier. I've also been mega-impressed with Skitch.
Best Political Blog
Chicken Yoghurt
Justin has simply rocked this year. One of the best writers in the medium. Sadie's Tavern would be a worthy mention too.
Best Non-political Blog
Limmy
This blog has made me - figuratively - piss myself all year.
Best Politician
Barack Obama
Obviously.
Best Newspaper
The Guardian
It better watch its back. The Guardian has lost its way a little this year. It's still the best paper, though.
Best sportsperson
MS Dhoni
Finally, someone's made a team out of the Indians. They've always had the talent (although the current team is pretty darn hot).
Best Record
Kings of Leon - Only by the Night
Well I can't say I've been blown away by any one record this year, but Kings of Leon are making very good music. I actually think - shock, horror! - that there are some good pop records in the charts at the moment, too.
Best Film
The Dark Knight
Well it was the year of the comic book movie. We had Iron Man, Hulk, Hell Boy II and Wanted (and those are just the ones off the top of my head). I'd say that Dark Knight wins out with Iron Man a close second. I also enjoyed Burn After Reading.
Best TV Show
The Wire - Series 5
The Wire is simply the best television programme ever made. Period.
Best Book
N/A
I've read no new fiction this year. I spent most of my time reading old John le Carré books and Graham Greene. I'll have to remedy this in '09.
Best Podcast
This American Life
This is probably the choice that has caused me to ponder most, as I listen to oodles of podcasts. But This American Life has provided the most memorable and beautiful moments. Subscribe, if you haven't already. Worthy mentions to The Collings and Herrin Podcast [sic], Sarcastic Gamer and Football Weekly.
Best Radio Show
Adam & Joe
Funny and creative. Brilliant, basically.
Best Video Game
Gears of War 2
It's been another cracking year for gaming. GTA4 was outstanding, Far Cry 2 was a surprisingly deep game, and Left 4 Dead (which I get for XMAS) looks great. Nothing quite topped GOW2 though. It's awesome. The art style is incredible. The level design spectacular. And the weapons rock. Epic.
Best Gadget
iPhone
I haven't got one. I can't quite give up my BlackBerry (or switch to O2). However the app-store has made the iPhone a serious proposition. The utility of the device - theoretical and realised - is astonishing. I will get one, eventually.
Best App
Fluid
I have adored this app all year. I have run GMail and Google Reader constantly using Fluid and it has made life much easier. I've also been mega-impressed with Skitch.
Best Political Blog
Chicken Yoghurt
Justin has simply rocked this year. One of the best writers in the medium. Sadie's Tavern would be a worthy mention too.
Best Non-political Blog
Limmy
This blog has made me - figuratively - piss myself all year.
Best Politician
Barack Obama
Obviously.
Best Newspaper
The Guardian
It better watch its back. The Guardian has lost its way a little this year. It's still the best paper, though.
Best sportsperson
MS Dhoni
Finally, someone's made a team out of the Indians. They've always had the talent (although the current team is pretty darn hot).
Reader Comments (10)
Blimey. Cheers, mate - that means a lot coming from you.
Kings of Leon album is a winner, although I do prefer the early, harder, messy stuff but fine record never the less.
Right, that's it, McKeating... a vendetta driven by jealously begins here. That goes for your little Sadie friend, too.
Aaron: The Independent have far outdone the Guardian in the sliding standards stakes. The new editor is a bit of a [rude word].
Just,
no worries.
Daniel,
agreed.
Tim,
I think the print Indi is garbage. The odd decent Op-Ed in the middle of a swamp of PR shots and AP/Reuters stories.
The website is improving though. The new design is a vast improvement.
Also, if there were an award for vendettas, you'd be a shoe-in. *ducks*
Roar. Vengeance shall be mine. And so forth.
Turkey Yoghurt now.
Indeed,
For the next few weeks, at least.
The Guardian has the best newspaper website; the best newspaper (both in print and in terms of new coverage) is, IMHO, the FT.
xD.
FT also has some of the best Op-Eds, too.
I think the Guardian's opinion pages have too much guff. Likewise, considering the scale of CiF, it's rather diluted by a lack of original ideas and a serious dearth of good writing - although it still features some of my favourite writers.
I had got a dream to start my own organization, but I did not have enough amount of money to do this. Thank heaven my friend proposed to take the mortgage loans. So I used the financial loan and realized my desire.