Everybody Else Made An End of the Year List...

2006 can take a flying leap out of here.

It was, in a lot of ways, a fully rotten year. So, 2006, don't let the proverbial door hit you in your proverbial ass.

My Pop Culture (and Other Stuff) List of the Year

Best Movie I Saw in 2006
You know, that was tough because I figured out I saw five whole movies in the theater and saw one new release on video. Guess it wasn't a movie year. So I'd have to say Casino Royale, partly because of that kickin chase scene in the beginning (the guy who played the bomber is AMAZING) and because Daniel Craig can look alternately creepily unattractive and full-on sexy. Not too often you run across a guy like that.

Best Book I Read in 2006
This one's a no-brainer. Dick Francis put out Under Orders, and since it brings back Sid Halley, my all-time favorite hero, this tops the list. And Sid ends up happy. I think we can end his saga right there, satisfactorily.

Best New Author I Picked Up in 2006
My family convinced me to read Janet Evanovich, and I've been laughing ever since. Pick up her number series (Stephanie Plum) and answer for me the question: Morelli or Ranger????

Biggest Hassle of 2006
Moving. I hate moving. I only like unpacking when it means decorating. Now I'm at that boring part where I have to figure out what ELSE to get rid of. The guest bedroom still looks like I just hauled all the boxes in. Ugh.

Least Missed Person in 2006
Stephen C Trivers. Yeah, you know what I mean.

Babies of 2006
This is a good one! Rachael and Vivian, welcome!!


What I want for 2007:

On TV
- I want Veronica Mars to get a man worthy of her wit - Logan is one trauma away from a full-on meltdown and Piz is a marshmallow - soft and gooey. And more Wallace. I miss the way he works with Veronica, and the fact that they are such good friends with no hint of a dating relationship, which is realistic.

- I want Lost to get back to the good stuff, including the old Losties like Hurley and Locke, two of my faves. And don't just get rid of Ben yet - he's so creepy I enjoy watching him even while I cringe. And show me more about the hatches and that guy with the eyepatch! Intrigue me! Make me think! Shock me!!

- I want more Rush on Supernatural. And more of that sexy car. And more naughty lines out of Dean's mouth. For my next Hot Man Movie Moment night.

- I want CSI Miami to stop David Caruso's acting tics RIGHT NOW. They used to be endearing. Now they're annoying.

- I want Bones to give Cam something to do so bloggers stop bashing her (I have too much time on my hands). And I want more of Angela's off-the-cuff comments and Hodgins' conspiracy theories. And more of Booth's socks.

- I want more humor on Studio 60. More Aaron Sorkin make-you-think humor. More coconuts through tables. More witty/snide lines from Jordan McDeere. More so-fast-you-have-to-rewind-it dialogue. More references to Brighton!

- I want more stuff to blow up on Mythbusters and more of Adam's maniacal laughter. And anything that will make Jamie giggle (like Mentos and Diet Coke).

- I want Ghost Hunters to find something downright creepy, like the Civil War soldier or the lighthouse ghost. Anything that makes my hair stand on end.

- I want really good shows for people like DB Sweeney, Bradley Cooper (Alias), Mark Valley (Boston Legal is SO not the way to go), and of course Nick Lea - if only I could see it in the States. In fact, anybody from the X-Files back on my TV screen would be welcome.

After I leave I will think of twelve women who I would also like to see get good shows. Give me time. I'll come up with them.

- Ooh, here's one, Aisha Tyler. LOVE HER. Why can she not find a really good show to make use of her wit? She's freakin' hilarious.

- And what about Amber Benson, who was Tara on Buffy? She had a guest spot on Supernatural but that's all I've seen of her.

- Ooh, and Eliza Dushku, who was all sass as Faith. Miss her in that role.

In the Movies
- I want the next Harry Potter to be amazing. Phoenix is a difficult book. I want the movie to really delve into the changes in Harry's life. (Never read it? Call me, I'll loan you Book One.)

- I want the next Pirates of the Caribbean to be a little tighter than the previous one and feature a lot less juvenile behavior. (And more of that lady witch doctor, eh? She was good.)

- I want something at the theater that moves me the way the Lord of the Rings movies did - a fully-realized world that draws you in so completely you feel like someone squeezed the breath out of your chest when its over. Then you find yourself counting the days until it comes out on DVD so you can watch it all over again.

In Books
- I want another Dick Francis novel. If he wants to write it, that is. He's more than earned his retirement, but while he was gone I missed him.

- I want to be blown away by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but not in a bad way. I want a happy ending for our boy hero, and his friends - and don't kill off any Weasleys! I love that family. And I want to know that JK Rowling will someday revisit this world she's created, because I will be depressed when I finish Book Seven. That's how good she is. Really, people, she's amazing. I want to create like that.

In Sports
- I want a healthy happy retirement for Barbaro. And I want his story and his treatment to save the lives of other racehorses who might otherwise have been euthanized.

- I want a nice quiet retirement for Perfect Drift where he lives out the rest of his days in comfort - preferably somewhere I can go to give him a peppermint.

- I want another racing hero the fans can get behind, like Smarty Jones or my boy Afleet Alex.

- I want another great Tigers season! (Without the ego problems that smacked the Pistons.)

- I want the Lions to finally realize what a colossal mess they're in. Fire Millen. The league should also snap its fingers in William Clay Ford's face and say "Are you awake? Do you care?" If he paid more attention to the team, he could help the state's struggling economy by boosting Detroit economically. But I honestly think someone should put a mirror under his nose just to be sure he's even breathing.

Just Disappear Already
Brangelina, TomKat, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan - PLEASE!! Go somewhere FAR FAR AWAY! And take your lack of underwear/class/brains with you.
Britney amazes me in all the wrong ways. For someone as cute as she can be (and she really can be cute), she usually looks like a tart or trash, and acts like it too. I'm done giving her the benefit of the doubt. And Paris Hilton has three brain cells and they're all focused on making sure she stands in the exact same off-kilter pose in every picture.
Oh, and when you leave, take Mel Gibson with you. I'm SO OVER that guy.

She's Right, You Know
Just to put my two cents in, Rosie O'Donnell was right when she said Donald Trump is a snake-oil salesman. He gives me the creeps. Not that he's not smart, mind you, but come on, you can't tell me he honestly doesn't make you squirm. Maybe it's the hair.
Not that Rosie is always the model of appropriate attitude.

Best Modeling Development of the Year
Fashion houses are now restricting super skinny models on the runway. Hear, hear!!! It's one thing if it's natural, but it's another when it's not, and we can all tell. HIPS. Women have HIPS, people.

That'll do for now. I'll come up with a few more I'm sure. In the meantime, Happy New Year!!!