A 2011 Review

 What happened this past year? Let's see...

Music

I’m not even going to lie: music stunk in 2011. Usually I can come up with long lists of songs I’ve liked, but I’m going to struggle to come up with a decently long list of songs that actually came out (or really hit the scene) in 2011. Since I enjoy, challenges, though…

16. Bring It Back - The hook is just hilarious, as are the verses. It’s really only suitable to listen to in one place, but it works pretty well there.

15. Danza Kuduro (Don Omar f/ Lucenzo) - La mano arriba...cintura sola...da media vuelta...danza kuduro...I’d like this song even if it didn’t remind me of Fast Five.

14. Red Bottoms (Trina) - This is more in amazement that two people (Collipark) who had done pretty much nothing since 2006 actually got together to make a pretty decent song than anything else.

13. My City My Hood (Trick Daddy f/ Desloc Piccalo, Billy Blue, Wild Child, Brisco) - Almost forgot about Piccalo and Trick until this song came out over the summer. Wild Child probably had the best verse.

12. Rollin remix (Gunplay f/ Rick Ross, Waka Flocka) - It’s all about the hook, really. That hook could wake me up out of a good sleep. The verses have a comedic element too.

11. Maniac (Bruno Mars) - And I thought ‘Grenade’ was good…which it is. This song is basically along the same lines, except it has an 80s sample.

10. Party Rock Anthem (LMFAO) - I like the song for the same reasons everyone else does. I will say the Kia commercial sure helped, though.

9. Radio (Raphael Saadiq) - Old school soul…it was so refreshing to hear this type of sound. My dad would love this song. Saadiq is the one guy I should listen to more than I do.

8. Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay (Big Sean f/ Kanye West) - Kanye’s verse doesn’t really do it for me. The production and the flow of the hook, though? Every time. Of course, the “hold up” part helps out a lot too.

7. Oh My (DJ Drama f/ Fabolous, Wiz Khalifa, Roscoe Dash) - This song would be one spot higher if Wiz’s verse didn’t take the air out of the song in the middle of it. Fab and Roscoe do their thing, and the hook is the best part.

6. I’m A Boss (Meek Mill f/ Rick Ross) - I don’t know why I like this song so much. I just do. I will say this: Meek Mill goes in on first verses of songs. Not sure why that doesn’t carry over, but his first verses are tight.

5. She Will (Lil Wayne f/ Drake) - Love the production. I admit, the rhymes aren’t that great. The hook is outstanding. This is one of those songs where some things push the song in spite of other elements.

4. The Motto (Lil Wayne f/ Drake) - There’s a huge gap in song quality between ‘She Will’ and this. This is the type of song that YM is capable of making when they want to. Simple beat, flows well, and is rather concise.

3. Shake Life (Jeezy) - Between the sample and the message, this song just wins. We all have our points when we need to shake life, and this song is definitely one to do that to.

2. John (Lil Wayne f/ Rick Ross) - These two can make amazing music. While no offering will be the ‘Shot to the Heart’ remix, this is probably the best they’ll do outside of that.

1. Moves Like Jagger (Maroon 5 f/ Christina Aguilera) - This is not #1 because I’m a M5 fan. It’s #1 because there’s no filler. The whole song is great, especially Christina’s verse. It really gives the song an added flavor.

Movies

Fast Five was the best movie I saw in 2011, period. I liked how they brought back characters from the previous films and then put an actual story behind it. Captain America was absolutely #2. The Red Skull character was a little cheesy, but whoever did casting deserves a medal (no pun intended). After that, there were a few good movies: Happy Feet Two, X-Men: First Class, Colombiana…Thor was alright, and the Madea movie disappointed. I know TP isn’t prone to cinematic masterpieces, but at least they’re usually entertaining. This one wasn’t. Natalie Desselle Reid played her role really well, I will say that.

Sports

I think everyone knows how I feel about the 2011 men’s college basketball season. The women’s season wasn’t as cool, as I really wanted to see Maya Moore leave with a title. I still think Oregon was a better team than Auburn, that the Heat were better than the Mavs, and that the best team didn’t win the World Series. Why they settle such matters on the field. Loved to see Hope Solo - and by extension, the rest of the USA Women’s World Cup team - lose. If you missed the Djokovic/Federer semi of the French Open, shame on you. The Masters was interesting until the finish, and Tiger got back into the win column at the end of the year.

The lockouts stunk, but you see which league was smart enough to avoid one. The soccer leagues in Europe are doing something about the racism that’s rampant over there. There were several scandals that don’t need any more mention. As usual, everything was fine for the most part on the field. It was off the field where so many of the problems were.

Back on the field, there were lots of amazing games. Game 6 of the World Series stands alone (unless you’re from Texas), but there were some other highly entertaining contests as well. The last night of baseball season had two (Rays/Yankees, Orioles/Red Sox). College football had a few (Michigan/Notre Dame, Michigan State/Wisconsin, Baylor/Oklahoma, Alabama/LSU, FAMU/Southern). College basketball had a classic in Indiana/Kentucky - no matter how hard Tom Crean tried to blow it. The NFL had pretty much every game Tim Tebow started.

And I’m putting this under sports since it really can’t fit anywhere else…the world finally learned who CM Punk is.

News/Politics (some of it, anyway)

Charlie Sheen is so crazy and out there he might want to run for the Republican nomination for president. Already got the slogan.

The people who are running for the Republican nomination could all ride to the debates in the same car.

Canada lost a great leader this year, one whose best may well have been yet to come.

South Korea and Libya lost leaders too, although sentiment toward them wasn’t as warm.

The last day of Florida’s legislative session was absolutely chaotic, and I loved every second of it.

Osama bin Laden was killed. One time for Seal Team 6.

The man who gave the order wants four more years of the nonsense he’s dealt with. I may have issues with him, but there’s no denying that he’s a public servant by definition.

My alma mater is going through it again with yet another negative story. Don’t people know we rise above these things by now?

There was that crazy Casey Anthony trial in Orlando.

There was the sadness and controversy surrounding Troy Davis.

We lost Steve Jobs.

We almost lost Gabrielle Giffords, and did lose 9 others.

People decided to take to the streets in a protest movement unseen in America since the 1960s.

Two English people got married.

We learned what planking and owling were.

Personal

I had the greatest birthday week ever right at the halfway point. I can’t thank everyone who was involved enough for making it what it was. That served as a blueprint for all future birthday celebrations, even though they may never work out quite like that one did.

Health is good. Weight has hit a plateau, but said plateau is 20-25 pounds higher than it was a year ago. Still donate blood every chance I get. Just started back running again. Eating better, working out regularly, still can’t sleep. Nothing’s perfect.

As some of you have seen, I’ve decided to give up on women/dating. I’m just through. Here is a rather lengthy explanation as to why (http://stonecoldbrown.xanga.com/757783171/item/). I just can’t do it anymore.

Making a few exterior changes in 2012 (there’ll be a note about this soon - it’s already written). Nothing drastic, just “playing the part” a little more.

Also started laying the groundwork for some things that will hopefully pop off in 2012. I’m keeping silent until I really have something to say, as far as all that goes.

Couple - scratch that, a few - longtime friends got engaged in 2011. One got married. Obviously, I wish them all the best.

Got to see one of my best friends for the first time in four years in Atlanta. Also caught up with some other people who I hadn’t seen in a long time.

All in all, I think the word I’d best use to describe my 2011: clarifying.