2012 in review

What do you think the biggest things of the year were? Good things/Whatever.

Discuss.

edited 31st Dec '12 8:09:01 PM by Rockonman

This thread is a bit Yack Fest-y. It was made in OTC, though, so try not to go on extended derails from the topics that emerge, though obviously I don't want to stifle discussion needlessly. Don't let any one event from 2012 dominate the entire discussion and we should be fine.

For the scientifically inclined

Confirmation that the Higgs boson actually exists.

Any discovery that can make a physicist cry is of monumental importance.

Let's see... how about a top-ten list for 2012 to get things started? In no particular order:

• The successful Mars Rover landing, and it's subsequent, successful Youtubing to the world

• The takedown of Osama Bin Laden (if there'd be a #1, this would be it for me)

• The spread of the dreaded "Gangnam Style" meme and how fast it spread

• The disturbing increase of shooting rampages, such as the Utoya, Aurora Colorado, Sandy Hook... too many, honestly

• The "Space Jump" made by Felix Baumgartner

• The civil war in Syria

• Kim Jong Il's passing

• Dec. 21st passing without the planet blowing itself up

Well, that's all I can think of right now. Maybe I'll post up some more later.

Hurricane Sandy was important.

As for Utoya and bin Laden, those were in 2011.

I think Obama's re-election is in most people's top-10 lists of either the best or the worst events of 2012.

These are always nice. Check out those for the previous years, if you've never did.

Edinburgh Agreement, for those of us on this side of the water.

The Olympics went and made us Brits feel awesome and IMO compared well even to the incredible Beijing Olympics. Frankly I didn't watch most of it, but I loved the intro ceremony and happy vibe which audibly cracked stiff upper lips up and down the country.

On the bad side, Mali went to Hell and is still there. I'm horrified that Al Qaeda and other Islamist warlords now have territory that's larger than the entire UK. Then again, Somalia's Islamists are losing power and I hope things continue to improve there.

I'm also hoping that Syria turns out well in 2013.

edited 1st Jan '13 9:29:12 AM by betaalpha

My favorite part of 2012 is the scientific reasearches proving that the world did not actually end last 21 december. That was pretty neat.

In a more serious tone, one of my moment in 2012 was the students strikes here in Quebec, and how it resulted in a change in government, resulting in the election of Prime Minister Marois.

That was a moment alright. I'm still not sure if it was good or bad, but it was something alright.

@tricksterson: Darn it, you beat me to that, though I was going to use the TOW article.

And somehow I find it hilarious that one of those images would be cat images.

edited 1st Jan '13 11:04:49 AM by rmctagg09

Kim Jong Il's death was also 2011. I have to admit that I liked 2011 a lot more then 2012. Not just for personal reason but 2011 was pretty much the year for bad guys getting their ass handed to them.

2012 sucked... The War On Women; ALL the BS Gerrymandering/ Voter Suppression, the crackdowns on innocent Americans protesting and the blatant fascism against them and the internet/other media; The fact that we still don't have Universal Healthcare like everyone else...

If I don't start seeing people actually start challenging the gov't in general like all those brave lads in the Arab Spring, then we deserve to be invaded - for being weak and not acting like our forefathers wanted!

America needs something like the Arab Spring to happen to it for things to not only suck less, but get better, as far as I'm concerned in 2013...

edited 1st Jan '13 11:17:53 AM by LostAnarchist

The War on Women is now out in the open instead of being something that was just an accepted part of society and the most egregious offenders got dopeslapped.

The gerrymandering and voter suppression failed toelect Romney, failed to keep the Democrats from increasing their hold on the Senate and from gaining 11 seats in the House.

No universal healthcare but Obamacare got upheld and Obama's re-election guarantees that it will be sticking around. By the time 2016 rolls around even if the Republicans take the White House it will have become entrenched.

And the homophobe set took their first serious losses from the voting public.

edited 1st Jan '13 11:45:23 AM by tricksterson

As far as I'm concerned, 2012 still sucked - but you're right about most of that shit. At this point - Let's hope what you pointed out stays fresh on the minds of everyone starting this year, or otherwise, I've got my reasons for being angry and being willing to take action where others won't - because personally, I'm sick of all the excuses for why we aren't fighting back for what we believe in and what our forefathers taught us to believe in (LIKE THE REST OF THE FUCKING WORLD IS DOING - hence my example being the Arab Spring... makes me happy to mention such an example of true people power every time I see it!).

My point is we need more people power, just like the rest of the real world is exhibiting (including my strongest example(s))... Otherwise, thank you.

edited 1st Jan '13 11:56:08 AM by LostAnarchist

2012, for me personally, both was completely awesome and completely sucked. Lots of stuff happened. The good stuff was really good. The bad stuff was shit.

We shouldn't forget about the Chick-fil-A controversy over gay marriage.

^^^

I don't see you starting the revolution. It's all fine and dandy to want something done, but if you haven't taken the steps to get it done either, you're just as bad as the people you claim are sitting on the fence, because you're right there with them.

Don't tempt him.

Goodness, Lost Anarchist. You shouldn't cherry-pick just the complaints and see some achievements too.

Yes there's plenty wrong with America, the so-called "great and mighty land of the people". That's not an impossible situation - many very well-off, prestigious countries also have some bad issues. That doesn't take away being well-off and prestigious. I would like to reflect back and appreciate this country for that.

Anyway, the two shootings in Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut were notable events in 2012.

edited 1st Jan '13 4:51:16 PM by Trivialis

We lost quite a few memorable writers, artists, and other creators. Ray Bradbury, Whitney Houston, Gore Vidal...the world is a lesser place for their passing. We also saw the ascension of new talent: Psy, Hugh Howey, Carly Rae Jepsen...in the end, we keep moving forward in that regard.

Edit: Remind me to move our Gore Vidal page to its proper namespace later.

edited 1st Jan '13 5:24:52 PM by TotemicHero

That's the one thing I agree on with anyone around here...

POSTED IN WRONG THREAD

edited 1st Jan '13 6:49:35 PM by DeviantBraeburn

I think that all the times Deviant Braeburn posted in the wrong thread is pretty notable.

2012 as a year sucked for me. Over half of it (7 months) I was in training and thus had zero freedom.