The year's slowly dragging it's feet across the finish line and, as such, bloggers are wrapping it up with a bow. Top lists are the order of business. I'll follow suit but with a bit of a twist. Here's a few arbitrary catagories followed by some nominees and the winner from 2006.

Best Album

Nominees: The Killers - Hot Fuss, Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene, Embrace - Out of Nothing, Imogen Heap - Speak for Yourself

Winner: Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene

Ask The Girl on this, I really didn't like them for a long while. I had a few of their songs but never could get into them. Then Alisa buys me a ticket to their show and I'm immediately blown away. These guys and gals can rock. This cd is BY FAR their best, in my opinion. Just so much fun to listen to all the way through... the way cds are meant to be listened to. As one 48-minute long opus. Trust me on this one. It's great.

Best Vacation

Nominees: Las Vegas - Family Trip, Las Vegas - Friends Trip, NYC - Super Bowl, Ann Arbor - Michigan/Ohio State Weekend

Winner:Tie Las Vegas - Both Trips

It's tough to decide between these two. The first was the family trip. Room was paid for, food was paid for, flight was paid for. I mean, it was probably the best Vegas trip you could imagine. It was the first with The Girl. I got to see my sister, her fiance and dad. Beautiful rooms. It was great. Yet, 2 weeks later I went with my closest friends in the world. Both college and high school. I saw Titus for the first time in a couple years. Kangas for the first time in a year. It was drunken debauchery where I lost nearly 30 times as much money as the family trip. Plus random cameo from a DC friend. (This catagory looks to be the most promising next year as there are already two trips planned in January, one to Chicago and one to NYC, and the two annual Vegas trips. Other possible VERY possible destinations include: San Fransisco, Seattle/Vancouver and London.)

Best Podcast

Nominees: Adam Curry's Daily Source Code, CBC Radio 3, Lynn Parsons, Sportweek

Winner: Sportsweek

I am always excited when I see the little blue ball in my iTunes telling me that I have a new episode waiting for me from each of these shows. I listen to each religiously. All four are so very different in their approach. But Sportsweek is the one show I really get excited about. It's the only one I listen to in the car. The only one I wait for. Gary Richardson does a wonderful job interviewing. This might be one of the best, most well informed sports radio shows on the air in the world. And luckily, I get to enjoy it because of podcasting. Thank you BBC!

Best Internet Application

Nominees: Flickr, BaseCamp, Blinksale, Bloglines

Winner: Flickr

No doubt. It's by far the most fun. Plus, it's turned in a verb. "I'll Flickr that." Just my fav... and I've turned my little sister onto it too. Sign up. Thank me later. No more needs to be said.

Best Book I Read

Nominees: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman, Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

Winner: Freakonomics

I read a fair amount this year. Maybe more than I ever had. This is a tough one. I'm always a fan of Palahniuk. Klosterman just seemed to be on a book long rant. With Blink, I think my hopes were too high after The Tipping Point and, although very good, it didn't delvier up to those hopes. I think the book which made me think the most was Freakonomics. That's what I enjoy. Winner.

So ends my 2006. I know I'm forgetting A LOT from the beginning of the year. That's what this blog is for. Next year for me to look back and remember all those times so maybe, just maybe, this will be a more interesting post. Until then... Happy Holidays! I'm off to pack...

One thing I wish I could more is read. The books on my reading list are piling up. I just can't find enough time to sit down and finish one. Currently I'm "reading" four... with two more to pick up when I can. Half of those are programming books to aid in my Ruby on Rails education. The other half are what I read after I wake up from being put to sleep by the first three. This system I have going right now just isn't working after this weekend.

I told myself Thursday night, "OK Addam, you'll read the OO Programing book this weekend. Let's get to chapter seven (I was on two) and I'll have a fully accomplished weekend." So what happened? The weather in DC finally decides to be nice so I want to spend time outside. Which leads to not reading and doing adventurous things outside. I'm still on chapter two. Ugh... Might be time to rethink this reading list idea and stick to ONE book at a time.

I plowed through three books on my reading list this summer (note the sarcasim): The Tipping Point, Blink, and Freakonomics. All good and fun reads but all require a highlighter, notepad and quiz afterwards.

Not to say that I didn't throughly enjoy them all. I did. It's just that whenever I read these sort of books, I feel like I need to reread them just to catch all the facts and, when speaking about them in a conversation, get all the facts correct. There are stories here and there I could recite but names - and anyone who has met me knows how bad with names I am - and what each did? I have about the same shot at remembering these as as three-dollar pistol does in a gun fight... that is to say, none. You want a summary and the underlying themes? No problem. How to order food in a resturant? Well, I could do that but Jason Kottke already covered that and why invent the wheel? Cold hard facts? I'm screwed.

Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment. I mean, I will be going back and rereading them (I've already started round 2 on Blink). Or maybe I'm a know-it-all perfectionist. Ehhhh, either way, come winter, when my reading list is shorter (hopefully) I'll take another stab at them.

Phew... Second leg of the blogging marathon coming to you! This time, I got a fever. And the only cure is more blogging! Baton number two for the night (as brought to you by the lovely folks at John and Alisa's blogs)...

Name three books on your book shelf. One from each end and one from the middle. Top shelf: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, Middle Shelf: The Life of Reilly by Rick Rielly, Third shelf: The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher

What reading material is in your bathroom? Maxim. When it was a book, it was Blink by Malcolm Gladwell a little while ago. When I drag one into the bathroom now, it's usually Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst.

Favorite authors and why. Hummm... There only three I read religiously... two of which are sportswriters. Bill Simmons and Rick Reilly are my sportswriters, Chuck Palahniuk being the other. I've read all of his books and still have yet to see the movie Fight Club.

Least favorite authors and why. Can't pick. I feel everyone is an author. If I had to choose someone, it'd probably be myself. I always go back and look at things and say "Oh Addam, what are you thinking there?! Reword it..."

What author is over rated? Wow... That's too mean.

Would you (have you) picked up a woman in a bookstore? Nope I can't say I have... and I can also say I've never tried.

Do you eat while you read? If so what’s your food of choice? No, I've tried once and ended up spilling it all over my bed. It was ice cream. Also would suggest, if the power goes out and your reading by candlelight, make sure you at least 5 feet away from the candle. I think you know what I'm getting at...

Name one book you'd recommend for someone searching for meaning or insight or inspiration. Ask Howell. Whatever book he read that made him all Buddihist, I'd recommend that.

Name one book you'd recommend for a day on the beach or a rainy day in the house. Goodness... umm... I'm not sure here. I don't read fiction really.

Do you judge a book by its cover? Everyday. I can admit it. It's just a matter of being open enough to delve futher in and see what it's ACTUALLY about. As a designer, I know that not all book covers are a true representation of what the story's about. Everyone takes something different from a book.

In the bookstore, what section do you head to first? Whatever is the closest. Seeing as the Barnes and Noble here in Georgetown has magazines up front, I'd say that. But afterwards, I ususally head up a level to the Art and Web Technology books.

Five people to whom I'm passing the book baton: Again, I'm so late... If you want it, come and get it...