Tag Archives: 2018 In review

The New York Post reports: “Becoming,” the memoir by former first lady Michelle Obama, has emerged as the bestselling hardcover book in 2018, with 3.4 million copies sold, despite its November release. According to stats released by NPD Bookscan, which tracks about 80 percent of the retail market, Obama’s book surged, with 712,000 sold in the week before Christmas. That …

Another action-packed year has come and gone for this here website thingy, which in a few months will mark its 15th anniversary. (Wow!) I want to sincerely thank all of you, longtime JMG flying monkeys and newbies alike, for coming along on the endless Trump-zaster that 2018 has been. While the last year has seemed like nothing but an infinite …

The Independent reports: Hillary Clinton has branded 2018 a “dark time” for America in a New Year’s Instagram post. The Democrat former presidential candidate said she was “grateful to everyone who brought light into it” – including activists, journalists, election organisers, candidates and protesters. The former secretary of state called for more light in the coming year and a shared …

Just posted to Barack Obama’s Facebook page: As 2018 draws to a close, I’m continuing a favorite tradition of mine and sharing my year-end lists. It gives me a moment to pause and reflect on the year through the books, movies, and music that I found most thought-provoking, inspiring, or just plain loved. It also gives me a chance to …

This will totally enrage the usual nutbags. The Times Of Israel reports: The British newspaper newspaper Financial Times on Wednesday announced that it was naming billionaire philanthropist George Soros its “person of the year.” “The Financial Times’s choice of Person of the Year is usually a reflection of their achievements. In the case of Mr Soros this year, his selection …

Via press release from Merriam-Webster: Our Word of the Year for 2018 is justice. It was a top lookup throughout the year at Merriam-Webster.com, with the entry being consulted 74% more than in 2017. The concept of justice was at the center of many of our national debates in the past year: racial justice, social justice, criminal justice, economic justice. …

The New York Post reports: The streaming giant Netflix is notoriously tight-lipped about its audience numbers, but today it disclosed its top 10 most binged original shows of 2018. Among the leaders, which were presented in no particular order, is “Bodyguard,” the Golden Globe-nominated BBC co-production starring “Game of Thrones” breakout Richard Madden; and the Halloween spooktacular, “The Haunting of …

Yale Law School librarian Fred Shapiro has issued his annual list of the year’s most memorable quotes. Here’s the top five: 1. “Truth isn’t truth.” — Rudy Giuliani, interview on “Meet the Press,” Aug. 19. 2. “I liked beer. I still like beer.” — Brett Kavanaugh, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee testimony on his Supreme Court nomination, Sept. 27. 3. “While …

Variety reports: YouTube has released its annual Rewind video highlighting 2018’s biggest viral events, trends, and more. Epic Games’ battle royale phenomenon “Fortnite” features prominently in the montage. The video begins with Will Smith wishing for a mashup of “Fortnite” and technology-focused YouTuber Marques Brownlee. Cut to a Battle Bus full of YouTube personalities (Ninja is driving, naturally). They parachute …

NBC News reports: It’s that time of year. TIME has narrowed down its shortlist of finalists for the magazine’s of 2018 Person of the Year. The title is not necessarily an honor or award, but representative of the influence the person — or idea — has had on the news within the past year, for better or worse. TIME has …

The Associated Press reports: Misinformation, as opposed to disinformation, was chosen Monday as Dictionary.com’s word of the year on the tattered coattails of “toxic,” picked earlier this month for the same honor by Oxford Dictionaries in these tumultuous times. Jane Solomon, a linguist-in-residence at Dictionary, said in a recent interview that her site’s choice of “mis” over “dis” was deliberate, …