The New Dan Century Blog

Here’s my best of list for 2012. Anyone mentioned in this article gets a free beverage from me if they request it in person.

Best books read in 2012: (although all three were probably not published in 2012): Ganesha Goes to Lunch: Classics from Mystic India by Kapur, Kamla K.; Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Hsieh, Tony; and Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon’s Army & Other Diabolical Insects by Stewart, Amy.

Best albums I bought in 2012: Reptilians by Starfucker (released in 2011); The Supreme Genius of King Khan and the Shrines by King Khan and the Shrines (released in 2008); Drunken Arts and Pure Science by Eastern Anchors (actually released in 2012! Winner!).

Best live shows in 2012: King Khan & the Shrines at the Asbury Lanes 7/24/2012; Emily Grove w/ Tommy Strazza at the Saint 7/15/2012 (the highlight of which was the kids outside the club calling me Thor — I have long hair and it was thundering outside; Emily is funny and easy on the eyes).

Best Punk Band: TV Tramps.

Best podcasts in 2012: The Duncan Trussell Family Hour, Marc Maron’s WTF, and }Hexdump{‘s podcast (music, not talking — essentially releases an album a month).

Best radio station: WFMU.

Best live comedy show in 2012: Duncan Trussell and Neil Hamburger at the Asbury Lanes (with Comedy Dreamz from Philly too).

Best TV show: Game of Thrones. (Nudity and dragons — does it get better than that?!)

Most useful technological device purchased in 2012: Apple TV.

Best movies watched in 2012: Castaway on the Moon; Drive.

Best cartoon watched in 2012: Redline (it’s all action – don’t expect a plot).

Best documentaries watched in 2012:Food Fight; Forks Over Knives; Fresh.

Best Manga: Bleach (After having the anime cancelled, the author started killing off main characters and then turned it into One Piece like lunacy).

Comic Books that made me want to read more issues of the same comic book: American Dark Age from Megabrain Comics; The Face Skull by Pat Dorian; The Worst Kind of People by Friend of the Atom; Tyranny of the Muse by Eddie Wright; The Wonder City by Justin Rivers and Courtney Zell; Dead Horse by Eric Grissom and Phil Sloan; Unbearable by Cliff G. and J. C. Luz.

Best Art Gallery Show of 2012: Fun is the Law at Parlor Gallery.

Best Socks of 2012: Corgi Socks.

Best decision made by me: I sold my old Honda for $400 hours before tropical-storm Sandy hit Jersey. Had I not, it would have ended up in my neighbor’s house.

Best costume of 2012:

Funniest Human Being of 2012: Evan Dorkin.

Best cake: Narwhal cake.

Best non-music touring event of 2012: Trading Tortoise.

Best use of Photo-editing software: Making cummerbunds for Chihuahuas.

Most fun app: Instagram (fun and interesting friends required).

Best Museum: The British Art Museum in New Haven, CT.