Best movie: "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" (barely edging out "Howl's Moving Castle")

Best non-animated movie: "The 40-Year-Old Virgin"

Best TV show: "Arrested Development" (yes, again)

Best new TV show: "The Colbert Report" (barely edging out "The Office")

Worst new TV show: "12-oz. Mouse"

Best new game show: 20-year-old "Super Password" reruns on GSN (not cleared in Tampa when they aired on NBC, so they're new to me!)

Best new comic strip: "Calvin and Hobbes" reruns

Best book I read: Neil Steinberg, Hatless Jack: The President, the Fedora, and the History of American Style (because I can't decide between the two volumes of Complete Peanuts)

Revoltin'est development: The TV Guide format change

Revised pick for best album released in 2004 after having had a year to think about it: David Byrne, "Grown Backwards"

Five best albums released in 2005: Ryan Adams, "Cold Roses"; Mike Doughty, "Haughty Melodic"; Josh Rouse, "Nashville"; Eisley, "Room Noises"; Aqualung, "Strange and Beautiful" (numerous albums barely edged out)

Ten best songs released in 2005 not found on one of the above albums: Kaiser Chiefs, "I Predict a Riot" (from "Employment"); Aimee Mann, "Goodbye Caroline" (from "The Forgotten Arm"); The New Pornographers, "Jackie Dressed in Cobras" (from "Twin Cinema"); Chris Mills, "Escape from New York" (from "The Wall to Wall Sessions"); The Decemberists, "The Engine Driver" (from "Picaresque"); Motion City Soundtrack, "Everything Is Alright" (from "Commit This to Memory"); Belle & Sebastian, "Dog on Wheels" (from "Push Barman to Open Old Wounds"); The Coral, "In the Morning" (from "The Invisible Invasion"); They Might Be Giants, "It Was a Very Good Year" (from their podcast); and, of course, Ben Folds, "Bitches Ain't Shit" (single)

Five best "oldies" I added to my music collection in 2005: The Association, "Goodbye Columbus" (1969); Three Dog Night, "The Show Must Go On" (1974); Ozark Mountain Daredevils, "Jackie Blue" (1975); Jay Ferguson, "Thunder Island" (1977); Barbra Streisand, "Stoney End" (1971)

Best musical development in my life: XM on DirecTV

Best sporting event I attended: Fullerton Flyers vs. Chico Outlaws, July 9 (baseball's even better when you get free tickets from the team's general manager)