As it turns out, “Baby New Year” doesn’t have a single-word appellation. Well, “2013”, maybe. It’s not exactly timeless, however. It’s also kind of moot because I don’t want to talk about the baby that is about to show up, I want to talk about the old man that is fixin’ to leave.
Oh, 2012 was a year, wudnit? All sorts of cool stuff happened. Going back through the archives, I’m reminded that I was really, really sick last January and wouldn’t shut up about it. (Sorry about that.) We processed Skyrim! We established the new-and-improved Weekend! tradition! We discussed how to best deal with railroading in tabletop games.
We got Mass Effect 3 and then couldn’t play it! And then we watched how the coverage of Mass Effect 3 by the gaming media resulted in SERIOUS backlash that didn’t just peter out after a week or so like the last umpteen times there was massive disappointment (indeed, I had to change my own review policy). We lost both Donna Summer and Robin Gibb and discussed disco. We had the Avengers Assemble. We discussed how to play the grown-up games we love with the little ones.
Looking back at the second half of the year, we had the post where we discussed love songs as a function of the Kübler-Ross model of grief. We (FINALLY) watched White Tulip, which was the reason I started our Fringe Bookclub in the first place. We started our Sandman bookclub. We discussed the importance of decent referees. And, of course, we announced our Mindless Diversions Game Of The Year (it was X-Com). I also hinted at an announcement here and (there were all kinds of hints prior)…
I have a new job. As such, I’m pretty sure that I can’t write something every day anymore (and, to be perfectly honest, I’m not thrilled with the quality of stuff I write when I sit down and have to write *SOMETHING* rather than sitting down with an essay that I can sleep on and then clean up and then sleep on again before cleaning it up again and then posting it). As such, I am pleased to say that we have a mess of bloggers here on Mindless and I’m certain that they’ll be able to keep you entertained in ways that I only daydreamed about doing:
You all know Patrick Cahalan and Kazzy. In addition, I’d like to introduce Mike Schilling, Glyph, and Boegiboe. We’re all going to do what we can to provide you the best unessential reading we possibly can without straying too far into the philosophical, the religious, or the political. Unless we can’t help but do that.
2012 was a good year… but 2013 will be a great one. Happy New Year!
Actually, the New Year does have a name, sorta. The Romans called him Janus, the god of doorways, he of two faces. Hence January, etc.
Janus is my favourite Roman god.
My favourite Roman goddess is Pomona, though there were a variety of harvest goddesses. There’s the Dii Consentes which lays out the twelve major gods and goddesses, including Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, whose statue looks down from atop the Chicago Board of Trade.
Along with you and Pat and Kaz, MD now has Mike, Glyph AND Boegiboe???? Holy crap.
It’s only a matter of time before the League is a sub blog of MD.
We could use an RTod, if there’s one available… there is a book-review shaped hole at MD…
Congrats on the new job! What a fun way to start a new year. I love adventure!
Thank you! I’ve had short conversations with about half of the people I’m going to be working for (I, apparently, have one boss but dotted lines to three other bosses) and half of me is saying “RUN FOR THE HILLS” and the other half is saying “Oh, these poor people have languished without a Jaybird… no wonder they’re in the state they’re in.”