Jeremy on '04
While it's very hard to encapsulate an entire year, here are some the things that stand out.
GOOD STUFF
Sports: Swimming star Michael Phelps. He could have entered fewer races to help ensure better results in his best events, but he didn't -- he participated in every event in which he had a shot, putting it on the line for Team USA. He also gave up his spot in the 4x200-meter relay finals to give a teammate a shot at gold (though, as a qualifying round participant, he still got a medal for it). At the games he truly showed class and sportsmanship -- and still got more medals than anyone else, ever.
Runner up: the Boston Red Sox -- victory after decades of futility gives us Gigante fans some hope, I think.
Restaurants: Old or new, SF reigns. I finally tried venerable Tadich Grill (SF's oldest restaurant) only this year and it's become one of my faves. Still haven't been able to get a table at the Ferry Building version of Slanted Door. Must be popular. Mad props.
Movie: Three movies nailed it for me in 2004.
-- The Incredibles -- the detail, the love, the fun. Not to mention some of the deeper issues running through the film.
-- Garden State -- The themes of disassociation, whether from being medicated (self or otherwise) or distance or whatever, speak to me and, to my thinking, a large part of my generation. Good acting too.
-- Sideways -- Maybe because I just saw it (like seconds ago), so it's fresh on my mind, but I liked this film a lot. I think the "buddies on the road drinking too much wine" aspect speaks to the heart of an SFist, even though it takes place in the Central California wineries rather than, ya know, up here. Sequel? Good book too.
Business: Netflix. Changed my life. Plus it got cheaper and kept the same quality of service (contrast with "MUNI" entry, below). I think it's rolling and rolling and it just ain't stopping. Hopefully it'll be to movies what Craigslist is to classifieds. (in other words, the end all, be all).
Music: On similar lines, legal downloading of music is also gathering steam. iTunes, MSN Music, and more are helping to change the way we listen (yeah, even Wal-Mart, who will delightfully edit out the bad language . . . try listening to the latest Ghostface album, the Wal-Mart version; it's just one big beep). No more buying a whole album to get one or two decent tracks. Also, Internet radio stations can cater to eclectic audiences.
TV Shows :
-- The Wire -- best and most engrossing storyline, acting, and characters on television, period. Does not cater to new watchers.
-- Arrested Development -- this show cannot be summed up in a bullet point, but it's effing hilarious. David Cross and Jason Bateman are standouts in a stellar ensemble cast, but it's the often subtle comedic brilliance of the writing that makes this a must watch.
-- Veronica Mars -- Teen angst, social drama, and crime drama in a nice little package-- the spiritual successor to Buffy. It's not bogged down in continuity and the lead character is so well actualized and acted, as are many of the supporting cast, that you really need to watch this. It's on the chopping block, so consider this a plea.
BUMMERS
Rachael Ray: She's everywhere. Cartoon form in a kids' book, even. Three annoying shows on Food Network -- you know, the one where she hypes up her kitchen innovation of "the garbage bowl" every episode; the one where she tips like a gosh-darned miser, even though she puts the staff through the trouble of dealing with her camera crew, questions, and crap ($40 a day); and the new one where I guess she pals around with people like Sipowitz, which I'm not even going to touch. There's spunky, there's outgoing, and then there's just played out. Goodbye, Ms. Ray.
Phish: My favorite band finally broke up. Time to start tracking down concert bootlegs (because the 70 or so available for purchase on the 'net just aren't enough).
Prop 71: Yeah, it was good in concept -- stem cell research is an idea that MUST be explored. However, this was a poor way to go about it. Folks are beginning to question it, unfortunately after the fact. It puts our state in worse financial trouble for little possibility of gain. There's limited wiggle room/oversight and our state doesn't stand to benefit even though the taxpayers are footing the bill. Looks like it's big biotech and venture capital firms that will profit from this. Since it passed and the language seems to be ironclad, all we can do is play pollyanna and hope that some diseases will indeed be cured while big business laughs its way to the bank.
MUNI: My fare went up and the service went down. Fewer buses on my route, less frequency, worse crowds . . . I could go on. Just one man's opinion.