Yearly Recap - 13s of '13

Last year, I did a "top 10" for my year in blogs. Things have changed quite a bit over the past year. So this years finale is a little different. We have a few things that we'll attempt to compile into lists of 13. Many of these have no order of precedence, priority, or importance. They are also not all-inclusive, representing only the first 13 to come to mind at the time of writing.

13 major changes in '13 (no order of importance) -

1. I [Paul] started writing for Watchdog.
2. Melissa attended her first BlogCon.
3. Melissa's personal blog disappeared. It has been replaced and will soon have some regular posts. It already offers a couple of guest posts.
4. New internet connections at home.
5. I [Paul] has started doing radio appearances.
6. We changed doctors and health plans.
7. Melissa and I [Paul] have gone wheat and gluten free.
8. Melissa and I [Paul] joined a gym (actually did that in late '12, but didn't start going regularly until after the new year).
9. Melissa graduated with her Masters in Counseling (Psychology) and completed all the academic requirements for licensing.
10. Melissa changed jobs.
11. Melissa and I [Paul] changed to an IR grill.
12. Jared's hair is loooong! His high and tight appears gone for good.
13. We added the "Mental Aikido" Facebook page right before Melissa deleted her Facebook profile and moved over to Twitter.

13 things to remember as '13 closes out (no order of importance):

1. Affordable Medical Insurance (just may be a memory).
2. Reasonable medical insurance deductibles (also just a memory).
3. Your health care plan (another memory).
4. Operation Fast and Furious and Brian Terry.
5. Benghazi -- 4 dead due to a terrorist attack and some video still the official scapegoat? C'mon.
6. A federal workforce participation rate above 64% (its still dropping!).
7. Incandescent light bulbs (may no longer be made... hoarding?)
8. The most expensive website ever built that somehow failed to work.
9. Exemptions to sales taxes on internet purchases (gone).
10. Our fallen Uniformed Military Service Members, they gave their lives so our way of life is preserved and our world can become a better place.
11. The US Constitution, all of it, paying particular attention to the parts being ignored such as the first 10 Amendments.
12. Talkmaster Neal Boortz's final radio show (as the headlining host).
13. Hostess. They are gone; Bankrupt; Out of Business; Joined the Edsel and the Pet Rock.

13 annoying things in '13 (no order of importance):

1. Melissa Harris-Perry.
2. People attempting to canonize Trayvon Martin.
3. Twerking.
4. Miley Ray Cyprus.
5. Miley Ray Cyprus Twerking.
6. Obamacare.
7. Obama
8. Pink Athletic Shoes
9. Wendy Davis
10. People texting instead of paying attention to the world around them and the people they are sitting among.
11. Common Core
12. Honey Boo-Boo STILL having a TV show.
13. "Top 13 lists"

Top 13 MA stories (Some of these also appeared on Watchdog Wire or Freedomworks) -- These are the top view counts mixed with what I [EIC P-GM] feels highly important: 

13. Immigration And Visa Reform -- #VisaForKai
12. The ongoing investigative story surrounding The Foddrill Files on Corruption in San Antonio:

•   411: 911 needs to call 311?
•   Foddrill: "My Life Has Been In Danger Ever Since..."
•   Foddrill Ends Silence About Corruption
•   Is Lt. Gov. Candidate Linked to San Antonio Corruption?
•   Former High-Ranking San Antonio City Official Suspects Rampant Corruption

11. School Super Supposedly Stifles Common Core Discussion
10. Defending Our Kids
9.   Common Core Materials In Texas Public Schools
8.   Open Or Close The THC Gateway?
7.   Coming To A City Near You -- Detroit's Fall
6.   Gosnell: It Isn't Abortion, It's Murder
5.   A Few Thoughts On Manning
4.   The Gun-Grab Is Starting
3.   Foundational Truth About Zimmerman
2.   The Difference It Makes, Mrs. Clinton
1.   Apparently Guam Needs Hurricane Sandy Relief

13 favorite non-MA blogs/columns to read (no order of importance) -- these exclude the greats like Ace of Spades, Michele Malkin, all the writers at Red State, and Dana Loesch, etc.: 

1. Chuck Norris's personal blog.
2. Katie Pavlich at Town Hall
3. Kurt Schlichter on TownHall
4. Brandon Darby at Breitbart
5.  The Brenner Brief  (Sara Marie Brenner)
6. LouAnn Anderson's Estate of Denial 
7. Lou Ann Anderson at WatchdogWire
8. Vodka Pundit on PJ Media (while you are there, watch a few episodes of Afterburner and Trifecta)
9. Instapundit
10. Lady Liberty's and Liberty Speaks' blogs. They are separate, but the two are inseparable.
11. Toraradical.com 
12. George Rodriguez 
13. Chuck Norris on TownHall.

No, this is not an all-inclusive list. It's just the first 13 that came to mind. Paul reads many more than that on a regular basis. If you aren't included there or in the blog-roll, send us a message and we'll gladly and shamelessly promote you.