People make year end lists at the end of every year. They are the throw-away columns of many a blog, magazine, and newspaper. Rather than protesting, let’s just make a few of our own. For mine, I shall embrace my own sentimentality and opinions – which is really what’s going on in all of the other lists anyway.

Here we go.

TOP CNC ROUTERS OF 2015

1. X-Carve by Inventables. Follow this blog for more projects coming in 2016.

Above: a bit of debris from a recent routing job.

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LIST OF STAR WARS FILMS AS OF 2015 IN RANK ORDER WITH LETTER SCORE

1. Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back ~ A
2. Star Wars Episode 6: The Return of the Jedi ~ A-
3. Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope ~ B+
4. Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens ~ B-
5. Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace ~ C
6. Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith ~ D+
7. Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones ~ F

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MOST BULLSHIT EVENTS OF 2015 (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

1. Bombing of a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan (by illegal coalition [i.e. US] forces, continued after multiple calls for cease fire).
2. Death of Sandra Bland (unarmed and in police custody – no indictments).
3. Death of Walter Scott (unarmed and running away, evidence planted, caught on video).
4. Death of Freddie Gray (unarmed and in police custody).
5. Charleston, SC church massacre.
6. Mass shootings ~Roseburg, OR; Chattanooga, TN; Planned Parenthood, CO; San Bernardino, CA; Paris, etc, etc, etc…
7. Donald Trump.

Image above by Brandon Loving. Click the image to see his website, or check out his stuff on Instagram here.

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BEST MUSIC I DISCOVERED THIS YEAR (MEANING IT COULD BE FROM OTHER YEARS, YO)

1. Hiatus Kaiyote. “Breathing Underwater” is the money track.

This band is worthy. Go Listen.

2. Dubb Nubb. “It’s Weird in This World” is the album. “Sister’s House” is the song. Check it out here – then buy some tracks. Good stuff.

3. The Go Round. “Hard Tellin’ Not Knowin’” is the album. “Headless Horseman” is the key track. Get to them here.

4. Tie: Wolf Alice – “Blush” / St. Vincent – “Cheerleader” / Timber Timbre – “Magic Arrow“

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TOP PHYSICAL DISTRESSES OF 2015

1. That time I had chest pain and went to the ER and they took an awesome ultrasound of my heart muscle and valves.
2. That time I was forced to rest for 3 solid days because I threw my back out and, perhaps, finally herniated a disc (this item is ongoing).

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BEST WIFI/BLUETOOTH CONTROLLED LIGHTING

1. LIFX. I tried out a few competitors, but absolutely love these for teaching my classes and for use in my own work. See some examples below:

Above and Below: Two different setups I made this year with my LIFX bulbs.

Above: An in-class demo figure study I made using my iPad and Adonit Jot Touch in Sketchbook Pro. The scene was lit with my LIFX bulbs. Click for enlargement.

Below: Two drawings from an LIFX setup. The first is by Mitzi Salinas Dominguez and the second is by Bri Heese.

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BEST WIFE

1. Alison. Long-suffering. Helpful. Sees the grace and the good. Seeks to bless others. A fruitful teacher. A forgiving mother. None of these years would make sense without her.