Here is the third edition of the Annual Best of Lists with another 52 interesting things learned, the oddest Guinness World Records, the best podcasts & TV shows, the best travel photos, 20 things that happened for the first time in 2023, the best longreads, the best scores and soundtracks and a lot more, enjoy and see you Friday! And Happy New Year!
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Welcome to my quirky original authentic blog. It all started back in 2012 focusing on my crazy hobby addiction of frequent flyer miles along with hotel and bank points. It has since evolved to a curated weekly post of the best web content I find along with my commentary. Here to Educate primarily, sometimes Entertain and if I get to Inspire you, well, that is a bonus.
This blog publishes on Fridays. This is a one man labor of love operation, enjoy it white it lasts. I may post on a Tuesday going forward whenever I get to it. Update: Come back for at least one more Tuesday when I will post another (final?) edition of 2023 Annual Best of lists, something I have been doing over the years around Christmas/New Year’s holidays.
52 Interesting Things I Learned in 2023
This one from Kottke and I think it is the best one yet. I see more of these, maybe I do one myself for 2024. I think I said the same thing last year lol.
The San Francisco subway system still runs on 5 1/4-inch floppies. [What?]
The founder of Lululemon picked that name for the company because he thought it would be funny to hear Japanese speakers try to say it. What an asshole. [Indeed]
Ernest Hemingway only used 59 exclamation points across his entire collection of works. [Amazing! <——Pun intended]
When the Regimbartia attenuata beetle gets eaten by a frog, rather than accepting its fate to be digested, it crawls through the frog’s bowels and emerges through its butt. “The quickest run from mouth to anus was just six minutes.” [Never give up…like this blog!]
66 Good News Stories You Didn’t Hear About in 2023
So much good happening but you won’t see it as stupid “shocking” clickbait crap gets all the clicks. As in, suicide rates falling, crime plummeting, the US pulling off an economic miracle, etc. But please, continue bitching about how terrible everything is smh…
The Best Scores and Soundtracks of 2023
Odd 2023: The 10 oddest Guinness World Records of the year
Maryland woman Kimberly “Kimycola” Winter belted out a belch that was measured at 107 decibels — about as loud as a motorcycle at full throttle. [WTF!]
20 Things That Happened for the First Time in 2023
Microplastics are found in the clouds. [Exsqueeze me?]
Longreads: The Best of 2023
Most of these stories have appeared in my blog in the past year, not to brag. Improve your media diet in 2024, say no to stupid clickbait, Think Before You Click!
The 25 Best Podcasts of 2023
The 10 Best TV Shows of 2023
So many streaming channels out there…Sometimes I wish there was ONE account we had that can get us everything we wanted and hopefully we pay per show to keep the costs low #dreaming
2023 Architecture and Design Awards
Some of these entries are hilarious:
Bad for Architecture Award: The long-sought Gilgo Beach serial killer turns out to be an architect with a New York City practice. Not helping.
LeRoy Neiman Prize: The NBA’s color-jacked In Season Tournament court designs made watching games an eye-straining chore.
Marie Kondo Medal for Anal Retention: Straighten it like Beckham? Netflix bio doc reveals Britain’s favorite footballer to be a fastidious design maven — even more than Posh.
National Geographic 2023 Pictures of the Year
The Best Black & White Photography of 2023
20 Best Travel Photos of 2023 by GlobalGaz
2023 National Beard and Moustache Championship Winners
See you on Friday!
Let me leave you with this:
Some of the links are behind a paywall. You can try to read them using Archive.is.
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TBB
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Sexy_kitten7 says
Don’t forget https://www.npr.org/2023/12/12/1215355752/best-songs-2023
DML says
This is a way to start the year!
Thank you.
Carl Pietrantonio says
Bronze! For the Pacific Northwest! Good reading for the next couple days here! Thanks, George!! Jan. 2 and off to go play Extreme Croquet in a few hours. This weather is very odd!
David says
Good morning Buzz,
That was a nice present for the new year yesterday for a Husky fan as I am, and for all you Wolverine fans. Let’s hope for a close game next week.
Great pics by Gaz, fascinating.
Happy new year to you and your family George!
GeorgeTBB says
@ Sexy_kitten7: I will check it out, thanks. Or should I say meow 🙂
@ DML: Great you started out the year this way. I lost another subscriber smh.
@ Carl: Never heard of extreme croquet before, interesting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_croquet
@ David: Yeah, LOVED the game. Also, I am so glad it started at 5 pm and was able to stay up to watch it all. “Michigan vs Everybody”. I like it. TBB vs EveryClickbaitingPumpingBlog. Anyway…I met Ric of GlobalGaz in Bangkok, he happened to have a meetup just a few blocks away from the Hyatt Regenc hotel we were staying, cool dude.
Happy New Year to all.
Not sure about Friday, next two weeks are my busiest of the year in my job that feeds the clan.
Also, TBB blog revenue was down 30% in 2023 vs 2022. What a depressing way to start the new year. Why am I still doing this?
GeorgeTBB says
Chase sent me an email with a link to apply for another Chase Ink Business card as I am preapproved smh!
Also, saw note I had to apply by January 7 so maybe this is the date two no annual fee Chase Ink business cards 90,000 points Signup Bonus finally ends?
Nick @ PFD says
Happy near year! Unless you’re a Carolina Panthers fan… first shutout in two decades, smh. At least we have the #1 draft pick–oh wait never mind. But at least our owner doesn’t throw drinks on fans–oh wait…
GeorgeTBB says
I saw that owner move…you just can’t do that, wow.
ABC says
When will MIT’s prez “resign”.
My 2024 prediction; Trump will lose at least one court case and eventually be removed as the candidate in Nov!
GeorgeTBB says
Yeah, how did that Prez escape the mayhem? 🙂
Hope your prediction comes true!
Daughter got email from Chase she is preapproved for a Chase Ink Business Unlimited card for 90k points. She got a Chase Ink Business Cash late last year! Link is good until January 8, 2024. What is going over at Chase? Whatever it is, I like it. Waiting for wife’s Unlimited card to arrive and now thinking to go for this for daughter, she has a lot of travel plans this Spring/Summer before she starts her job in August.
Also, just made last tuition payment to the University of Michigan for kid #2. Feels great.
GeorgeTBB says
Daughter got another email from Chase 6 hours later with the same link to apply for the same 90k Chase Ink Business Unlimited card and she is preapproved. WTF is going here on you guys?
Christian says
Did the approval go through?
GeorgeTBB says
You mean yours? Not yet, nada for January has come through. Hopefully it is due to the holidays.
At 5.58 am, Chase emailed my daughter again wanting to give her that Chase Ink Business Unlimited card, this is the 3rd email since yesterday. We may just go for it, Jamie Dimon really wants to give us another $1k. Just insane!
GeorgeTBB says
So, the 90k Chase Ink offers finally go away January 18, 2024.