Hello everyone and Merry Christmas,

Now that we got the Worst Things about 2021 out of the way,let’s do what we always do and save the best for last. Here is my list of the Best Things About 2021. This isn’t as conventional of a list as we’ve had in recent years,but it’ll do.

Disclaimer: Just like the other lists,this is meant to be fun and for entertainment purposes. Try not to take it so seriously!

10. GameStop breaking Wall Street

Do you guys remember this? When Redditors ended up saving GameStop from being another Blockbuster VIdeo by buying so much of its stock, making it the highest price it’s ever been. This was awesome because it threw the stock market into chaos and pissed off corporate hedge funds and I loved that it did because everyone uses the stock market as a barometer to see how the economy is doing and that’s incorrect. It’s usually rich people that own stocks and not regular people who live paycheck to paycheck. It was nice to see the middle finger given to the top 1-percent and them being beat at their own game. 

9. CATCH-ALL: The Bernie Sanders meme and Sharon’s pie

This is a catch-all with these two because they caught on so quickly this year and made so many of us smile. Let’s begin with Bernie Sanders becoming a meme while wearing a big coat,a mask,and mittens at the inauguration. So many people loved it and it took off from there,mainly because it’s an old man looking cozy and content wearing a coat and mittens and most of the time old people are adorable and cute and I would place Sanders in that category some of the time. Some people don’t like it because they don’t like his policies,but the majority of us love him and wish he was President,so stuff it!

The second part of this was caused by a burnt pie made by a woman named Sharon who,on Thanksgiving, had a burnt Marie Callender’s pumpkin pie on her hands and proceeded to let the company know that it was their fault,not hers,that the pie turned into ashes. People found it absurd that she did that and proceeded to roast her more than the pie ever was by her and her pie has become the subject of memes and other humorous things since that day. I would have had both of these items higher if it wasn’t for both of these two things to get kind of tired and old for me pretty fast. Sure,Sharon burning her pie was hilarious,but it was getting to a point where I felt a little bad for her because of how much attention it got and how humiliated she must’ve been following that. In any case these were two things that made me smile this year.

8. The lawyer who had to tell a judge he wasn’t a cat on Zoom

Early on in the year,we had a funny moment during a hearing on a civil forfeiture in a Texas judicial district court that was being done over Zoom where a lawyer had a cat filter inexplicably appeared over his feed and his inability to get it removed. Rod Ponton was the lawyer who was using his 10-year-old son’s desktop computer when he signed on and a filter of a cat popped up. He and his assistants tried to get it removed,but failed and finally Ponton said this:

“I don’t know how to remove it. I’ve got my assistant here and she’s trying to.” Ponton then attempts to move forward, saying, “I’m prepared to go forward with it.” Finally, he says, “I’m here live. I’m not a cat!”

After the incident Ponton was a good sport about what happened saying,  “If I can make the country chuckle for a moment in these difficult times they’re going through, I’m happy to let them do that at my expense.”

It was a funny moment that still makes me laugh and was a light moment for all of us that have experienced technical problems that appear out of nowhere,so it was really relatable.

7. The Florida man who pretended to be a firework

This guy has to be one of my heroes from this year because of the stand he took to try and get his neighbors to not be total douches before the 4th of July. He’s an unknown Fort Myers, Fla. man who decided to make firework noises in the middle of the night to see how his neighbors liked being woken up in the middle of the night to loud noises like he apparently was the year prior, so in the video above he decided to be a human firework and it was awesome. This guy did what people like me wanted to do when fireworks were going off unnecessarily before or even after the 4th of July. It happened a lot in my neighborhood and it was extremely bothersome because the last thing I want to hear while I am at home trying to relax or trying to sleep is someone setting off explosive fireworks that make a lot of loud noise. Whoever this dude in Florida is,you rock! 

6. Miranda Derrick

Someone I discovered just a few months ago was this young lady and her dance videos across social media. Miranda Derrick,along with her husband James (a.k.a bdash), post videos of them dancing to songs in various settings. Perhaps one of their best videos (above) is the one I found of them dancing to Earth,Wind,and Fire’s “September”,but on a treadmill and doing it flawlessly,with Miranda in strappy heels. You have to be pretty badass to be able to dance on a treadmill in heels and I think she is. Since then, I’ve been a fan and look forward to seeing what dances she and her husband and other friends will come up with next!

5. Someone else won the NBA Finals

Usually I am not into the NBA Finals because we all know who is going to win and it’s always the superstars on the best team who all teamed up together to buy a championship,but this year it wasn’t the case. The best teams were out earlier than expected and the Finals contained two teams that entered the league together in 1968: The Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns. In the end the Bucks won in six games and claimed their first title in 50 years. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the MVP of the Finals and seeing the smile and excitement on his face that he won was amazing. It was absolutely refreshing to see a different team win it for a change and I hope we see more parity in the league going forward.

4. “Scoop,there it is!”

I think this was absolutely the best commercial of 2021. An ad for GEICO that’s your typical GEICO ad,but with Tag Team helping with dessert by remodifying the lyrics of their 1993 hit “Whoomp,there it is!” to “Scoop,there it is!”. It was brilliant! It also became a meme where you could really hear the words from the picture. Some people didn’t like the commercial, but those people don’t know quality advertising like I do. It was great nostalgia from my childhood turned into 30 beautiful seconds. Also,I am a GEICO customer,so it definitely moved me in that regard. I also love that it’s still airing today!

3. The Problem with Jon Stewart

After leaving The Daily Show six years ago, Jon Stewart came back with a new show diving into hot button issues and having honest conversations about them in his new Apple TV show,The Problem with Jon Stewart. In the show,Stewart tackles issues like war, freedom,guns,and the economy with guests and experts on each topic and their lived experiences.  While there are funny moments on the show, it has a more serious tone than The Daily Show had,which is honestly something I like about the show. This is the exact type of show I saw him coming back with and I like that he’s unafraid to ask tough questions to people who need to have tough questions asked to them. I can’t wait for the show’s return in 2022. It’s the main reason I got Apple TV and it is a much needed show in the times we’re in.

2. Returning to Disneyland twice!

One of the best things about this year was getting to go back to my favorite place not once but twice. My first trip was a solo one in early June that lasted only a couple of days, but it was a magical couple of days. While I had to wear a mask the whole time and there was social distancing and zero pin trading, I had a good time. It was great to be at a place that is and has been special to me for quite a few years now and that I missed going to while it was closed. The second trip was probably one of my favorites because I got to join some friends of mine who were down there at the same time as me and we had a lot of fun and their son got to go for the first time. I also got to celebrate my friend Karl and his 40th birthday on my final day there and had a great time celebrating with him. I got to go to the Blue Bayou for the first time and it was awesome. Without a doubt one of the best meals I’ve ever had. The weather that weekend was awesome, the food I had everywhere we went was amazing,the company throughout the weekend was the best. I can’t wait to go back!

1. COVID-19 vaccines

This was seventh on the list last year,but I had to make this the top overall thing this year because we were able to get these vaccines. Well,those of us who were brave enough to do so. I got my initial two in April and May a couple of months after I had COVID and found the experience very enjoyable. I was a little tired and sore after the first one,but only for about a day. The second one? I felt great. I got my booster last week and feel great from that as well. I haven’t been sick at all not only since getting the vaccine,but since having COVID. This vaccine does work. I am glad we got a remedy for this awful virus so soon and that a lot of people have gotten theirs. Unfortunately a lot of others haven’t and that’s why we’re still in this predicament and why we have variants, but I am glad that most people have trusted the science enough to get this vaccine so that we can have our lives back. You’re the best and the bravest!