Sunday 17 December 2006

How was your 2006?

How was your 2006? It's almost time to be summing up your year, isn't it.
How was your 2006? Name 3 good things about it. Name 3 bad things. (5 marks). Prove using the Principle of Least Action (10 marks).
  • Favourite movie seen in 2006: Strange Love of Martha Ivers. Classic film noir. Edgy, taut, climactic -- "a razor-witted dance of death." They literally do not make them like this any more: it was made in 1946.
  • My best book of 2006: Sprawl: A Compact History. A ground-breaking read. Ayn Rand Answers wasn't too foul either.
  • Favourite magazine: The Free Radical, of course.
  • Most work: Editing The Free Radical!
  • Favourite theatre performance of 2006: Berlin: A Cabaret of Desire. Loved it the first time, and heading back to The Silo for seconds this week. Score!
  • Favourite musical performance: The all-NZ Parsifal, no question. Thrilling. Overwhelming. Electric. Proof of what music can do, and of what it can do for you -- and of how NZ music has reached maturity.
  • Favourite architectural moment 1: Opening of and view from the new Museum Dome.
  • Favourite architectural moment 2: Impending housewarming of Organon Architecture's Hamilton House.
  • The three worst things: Politics, politics, and politics. What scum.
  • Most shabbily treated New Zealander of 2006: Don Brash.
  • Second most shabbily treated: Peter Davis.
  • Favourite political moment: Announcement of Bernard Darnton's suit against Helen Clark.
  • Most dishonest: Clark Government's get-out-of-jail-free legislation.
  • Best thing about Not PC: The steady increase in the number of friendly yet combative commenters. [Pretentious? Huh! :-) ] And the new beer columnists. And the beer.
  • Worst Not PC thing about 2006: The implosion of some formerly friendly yet combative commenters.
  • Beer discoveries of 2006: Cheap imported real Czech Budvar. The fine products of the Emerson and Limburg breweries.
  • Favourite early evening drink of 2006: Dry Martini.
  • Late evening: Tullamore Dew.
  • Holiday Drink: Hangman's Blood [see recipe at the List of Iconic Drinkers]
  • Best party: Bonfire Night.
  • Best sporting moment of 2006: The down-to-the-wire AFL final. What sporting magic is made from. (The All Blacks almost-clean sweep wasn't bad, either. Bring on the World Cup next year!)
  • Much needed at the end of 2006: A holiday!
So what was good, bad, indifferent or most memorable for you?

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Worst Not PC thing about 2006: The implosion of some formerly friendly yet combative commenters

Worst thing about my year - how some people will make no effort and put friends at the bottom of the batting order in their lives. "I'd like to see you but I have lawns to mow". In fact I posted on this this morning.

Callum said...

Best new blog of 2006? ;)

Anonymous said...

Must ask helen to treat Peter better. Poor little guy has had troll around after her ever since the 'you know what' incident.

Deadman said...

Upside: About eight concerts including CSN&Y and a lot of other old hippy music!

New dog (to us)

Optimistic about business prospects for 2007.

Made many new friends.

Down side:

Lost best friend of 17 years and very good friend (four and two-legged, respectively).

Got royally (and unexpectedly) fucked in business by old (ex) friend.

Business continued to suck ass throughout the year.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.....

Truly a yang and yin kind of year.

Craig Ranapia said...

Worse thing: My grandmother and foster mother both dying inside twenty four hours of each other.

Best thing: Remembering two quietly magnificent women who, for all their flaws,never accepted mediocrity, stupidity or dishonesty from themselves or others.

Anonymous said...

Craig, what a beautiful eulogy to your grandmother and foster mother.

My belated sympathy for your losses.

Peter Cresswell said...

"Congratulations PC, YOU are Time magazine's person of the year!"

I'd like to thank all the ... Oh, bugger, you lot get the prize as well. Congratulations to you all. :-)

"Worst thing about my year - how some people will make no effort and put friends at the bottom of the batting order in their lives."

And then there are those infuriating people who create crises where there aren't any in order to test a friendship that doesn't yet exist.

"Upside: About eight concerts including CSN&Y..."

That's your upside, Mark?! You poor chap. I do hope your optimism about business in 2007 pays off. Go Kebyar!

"Craig, what a beautiful eulogy to your grandmother and foster mother."

True words that I'm sure do them credit, as they do you, Craig.

Deadman said...

"That's your upside, Mark?! You poor chap."

Well I was trying to think of fun positive things I did this year that I can discuss publicly.

;o)>

Still and all, unfortunately, this year was the about the worst in the past 18, but I didn't want to completely harsh your comments thread!

Craig: My sympathies, mate, and that was a beutiful remembrance of them both.

Kane Bunce said...

Best moment 2: Peter's suggestion that I write a Grimeworld story for the Free Radical. That could help a my planned writing career a lot.

Best moment 2: Creating the current idea for my first book.

Best moment 3: Discovering Ayn Rand. My life has improved a lot since then.

Worst moment 1: A trip to the Auckland CBD where nothing went right.

Worst moment 2: Trying to get to Bullshit and Jellybeans, though it worth it.

Worst moment 3: Not sure. I can't think of one. I am usually a positive thinker.

Anonymous said...

Best things:
- Seeing in the New Year in a little ski cabin deep in the Swedish hinterland...

- Seeing the 'Canes almost, almost make it in the Super 14 final.

- Huge growth in spare time and injury-free status taking a break from kickboxing training this year.

Worst things:
- Taking a break from kickboxing training this year - sport is so important to personal fulfilment...

- Me boredly rattling around in my apartment with my girl taking a one-month trip back to Sweden mid-year... Boo.

- Ultra-high workload.

- Private jobs as an architect. Not remotely worth the money for the stress involved.

DenMT

Rebel Radius said...

2006

My mother (previously widowed), was financially ruined through the ruthless extortion of her assets by her second husband, aided by a few of his professional mates. I wish I could give some names, but I am working on that.

She killed herself.

Kitchen fire caused by alleged incorrectly fitted oven. No one or company was interested in any investigation, I wonder why?

Leaking flashing caused ceiling collapse.

Best mate of 17 years, passed away.

The absolute highlight of my year and indeed all my years thus far, was discovering Ayn Rand.

Yep 2007, bring it on.....and more of Ayn Rand.

Quote Queen E..."the anus this year has been somewhat horriblous. "

But hey, with 3 ply, it is all just a mere wipe away.

Peter Cresswell said...

RR, that is just unutterably shit.

That you can smile at all after that load is a tribute to you.

Hopefully for you the 2007 anus will be truly magnificus. But keep the 3-ply handy.

Peter Cresswell said...

"- Private jobs as an architect. Not remotely worth the money for the stress involved."

Yes, I've heard that too. ;^)

Anonymous said...

RR, the law of averages would decree that 2007, for you, will indeed be an improvement upon this year.

And I, for one, would like to wish you a fair dinkum 'Happy' New Year!

Steve said...

Best (postmodern) moment 2006 - watching the Leader of the National party fall as a result of a load of hot air and nothing. Art as reality! I squeeled with glee.

Runner up - spending 10 bucks a week on petrol (thus saving heaps of beer money), dropping in on fatsos in their SUVs and splitting the queues on my Vespa. Ah... the market did provide!

Downside - accidently seeing that half naked photo of Rodney Hide - what a mess. If that's what freedom does for ya, I'll take totalitarianism thanks.

Kane Bunce said...

That you can smile at all after that load is a tribute to you.

Indeed. You are a person of incredible strength, RR.

The absolute highlight of my year and indeed all my years thus far, was discovering Ayn Rand.

A bit of a high for me, too.

Yep 2007, bring it on.....and more of Ayn Rand.

Hell, yeah for both!

Steve said...

Jesus, if the highlight of my year was discovering Ayn Rand I think I'd be reaching for a cheap bottle of whiskey to drown my sorrows.

More of a highlight would have been shagging a fat chick I'd picked up down courtenay place in the Waitangi park public toilets... but alas, I didn't get so lucky.

You read any grownup philosophy Bunce or just the cultist Rand?

Anonymous said...

RR: Hope 2007 holds a lot of goodness in store for you mate, that is a lot of negativity to absorb for one year. Best of luck.

DenMT

Rebel Radius said...

Cheers all, you slapped a smiley face on my day.