Well, if you were going to sleep through a year, 2011 was a really good one to do it in. And if you did, here are the twenty Whatever entries that I think best encapsulated the year around here. Presented in alphabetical rather than chronological order, they are:
- And Now, For No Particular Reason, A Rant About Facebook
- Bill James’ Pop Fly
- Dear Writer: I’m Sorry I Don’t Have Time to CRUSH YOU
- DeKloutifying
- The Electronic Publishing Bingo Card
- How to Know If You’re Cheating
- Lord of the Tweets
- Notes on Arguing
- Omelas State University
- Peak Gingrich
- Reader Request Week 2011 #1: Children and Faith
- Reader Request Week 2011 #6: Sociopathic Corporations
- Regarding Snobbery
- Revenue Streams 2010
- Shut Up and Listen
- The Sort of Crap I Don’t Get
- The Thanksgiving Advent Calendar, Day Three: Luck
- The Thanksgiving Advent Calendar, Day Twenty Four: Right Here, Right Now
- What It’s Like to Have Me For a Dad
- When to Ignore Criticism (and How to Get People to Take Your Critique Seriously)
There, now you’re all set for 2011. No need to read anything else anywhere else, ever. And look! Here comes 2012. Try not to flinch.
Thanks!
But “Reader Request Week 2011 #1: Children and Faith” links to #6 instead.
I don’t know how I missed “Lord of the Tweets” the first time. Shadowfax and Darktweet. ~chortle~
Very convenient, thank you.
Corrected link for “Reader Request Week 2011 #1: Children and Faith”:
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2011/03/14/reader-request-week-2011-1-children-and-faith/
Mike G:
Fixed in the entry.
Will there be a Whatever Best of 2011: Lopsided Cat Edition?
He’s had a big year for one who has slept so much.
Interesting, the rant on “The Sort of Crap I Don’t Get. There IS a gender thing going on. I am a teacher, and I have noticed repeatedly over the years female teachers get more crap from parents BY FAR than I (and other male colleagues) ever have. And it’s not just cause I’m awesome or anything; I do things that should attract far more ire from parents, but rarely get confronted for it. Such attacks, by the way, more often than not come from Moms more than Dads.
Do cats dream of lopsided sheep?
Happy Festivus, John.
A most excellent Lopsided Cat. All hail His Mightiness.
Here in Christchurch, 2011 has been a Year Of Goddamn Earthquakes.
I have nothing useful to add, I just wanted to say once again that you live with some beautiful cats (& dog).
“”Here in Christchurch, 2011 has been a Year Of Goddamn Earthquakes.”"
Here in Massachusetts we only got the edge of one earthquake. We made up for that with a tornado, a micro-burst that had us without power for a day, a hurricane, then a freak snowstorm that had us without power for a week. Columnist Thomas Friedman accurately described it as ‘Global Weirdness.’
I’d ask, ‘what will 2012 bring?’ but I’m afraid to.
Should I be proud or ashamed that I am a notable provocateur in at least three of these threads? (g)