Happy New Year to all my blog readers (at this point, both of you)! Well, 2011 has drawn to a close and the new year has begun.
The end of the year is usually seen as a time for reflection and consideration of what we want next year, almost like a tally of pros and cons and gearing up for the next possible pros and cons for the coming year (maybe whoever's in charge of fireworks and such down here could reconsider the budget. Do we really need to spend millions each year on loud flashy things that people forget about within the next twenty-four hours, or quicker if they're drunk, when the money could go to more important things? No, scratch that, ACTUAL important things? And let's not forget how many pets often go missing when they hear fireworks. Granted, that's partly the fault of people being careless/distracted by all the pretty colours and such but not everyone is so stupid to forget their pets but the pets still get out anyway).
When we look at this year, what exactly do we see? Well, of course the biggest thing 2011 will be remembered for is perhaps being the year that evil took a huge blow. Namely, with the deaths of Osama Bin Laden, Muammar Gaddafi and Kim Jong-il. Now, this may be bordering on controversial depending on which part of the world you live in, but I'd say that's a pretty good effort (and in Bin Laden's case, well overdue. Oh well, better late than never I suppose). The great thing is, it's going to be hard to argue that I'm wrong or out of line because, much like trying to defend Hitler, the atrocities they committed or the ones done in their name will always outweigh any redeeming factors they may have had, if they even had any at all.
On a related note, this year marked the end of the War On Terror (that name makes no sense to me. You can't call war on a concept. Unless Terror now has personification. Maybe the next war will be something like the War On Ambivalence. Or the War On Apathy, if they can be bothered or whatever). Ten years but finally, it's over. Well, as over as it can be. I mean, war doesn't exactly clean up neatly does it? Lots of rebuilding to be done and all that. But at least, the families of everyone serving overseas will have their loved ones back where they belong.
I want to make something clear, too: I am not anti-war. I am, however, anti-stupid and that's largely what this war was. Well, the motivations and such behind it, since I doubt it would have taken ten years to find one man. Anyway, that's all I'm saying about the war. About being anti-stupid, I don't mean stupid like Gilligan stupid, where people are book dumb and not too bright but have big hearts and good personalities, I mean Paris Hilton stupid, where the arrogance and self-serving attitude outweigh any such notions of good traits. And I say this as someone who doesn't regard themselves as highly intelligent. Or intelligent in general, I just know big words and copious (see, there I go again )amounts of pop culture.
So, let's move on from the general debate starters (probably for the best since I don't recall any of the other big things that impacted the world this year) and move on to personal reflection. How did this year stack up for me? Well, I can sum it up in one sentence: a lot better than 2010 for damn sure! And for reasons I won't go into, either. Suffice it to say, 2010 wasn't my best year but I turned my life around in 2011 and came to an epiphany, due partly to the support network I have of my many friends and family members (and I thank each and every one of them for everything they have done and will do). Do I think 2012 will be better for me? As surprising as this may sound coming from me, yes. Yes, I think 2012 will be better for me. Now, 2011 didn't suck entirely (I mean, 365 days in a year, some things are bound to go wrong, right?) as I got through it without a hospital trip this time (long story, involves the unmentionable from 2010), no one I knew passed away, I've begun training for a management program through my job and overall, I've felt better about myself than I ever have in my life. I still have doubts about myself, and a lot of things I have to work on and overcome, but for the first time in my life, I think I'm truly happy.
But what do I hope for 2012? Well, I'm not expecting the world to end, like those Mayan prophecies are suggesting (I still hold the belief that the apocalypse will be by our own hand, like nuclear war or America elects one of those Jersey Shore sacks of crap as president. Seriously, I think that could happen. And that thought scares me a lot.) and I suspect that once again, every other prophecy about the world's demise will be retooled, with a hasty “What we MEANT to say was July 19th... 2013! See, the 3 looked like a 2 so we're totally right! Obey our Lord who may or may not hate you for reasons we describe in poor detail and change when we can't have our way! Oh and give us money so we can continue conning you!”
No, I expect we'll carry on as usual, as we do. Though hopefully we'll work out new cures for various diseases, maybe even AIDS. And hopefully, we'll smarten ourselves up a bit, myself included.
To end on a light note, what does a pop culture junkie like me look forward to this year in those terms? Well, let's break it down:
-Australia will finally get a DVD release of The Walking Dead, Season 1, so I look forward to that (now I have to read both my trades before then)
-Stephen King has a new addition to The Dark Tower series, entitled The Wind Through The Keyhole (and if we're lucky, Doctor Sleep will see a release date of later this year)
-While I have been picking up and enjoying some of the New 52 from DC, this year will see the relaunch of a title I eagerly await: Batman Incorporated (hopefully there's a trade of the first few issues, the ones that lead to Batwing, who has his own title)
-Since I recently got a 3DS, I have been waiting for a bigger game library, even though some of the current titles don't look that bad, like the new Resident Evil game and I am having fun with Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. That being said, bring on Kid Icarus: Uprising and Luigi's Mansion 2! Also, can't wait for Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes and I'm interested in the upcoming Wii U
-Movies, however, remain a big drawcard. Especially this year with stuff like Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows (not too long before its out here and I will be doing a blog on it), The Avengers (duh!), The Dark Knight Rises (double duh!), The Dark Knight Returns (great year for Batman), Justice League: Doom (Batman appears yet again), Superman Vs. The Elite, The Amazing Spider-Man, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, Skyfall, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, J. Edgar, One For The Money, The Cabin In The Woods, Prometheus and Django Unchained
So, let us venture into that new year and see what it holds for us. Stay safe and have a happy new year, everyone.
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