I mark the passing of the years in a couple of ways. One is natural events: the coral tree flowers in mid-winter, the jacaranda flowers in spring, the comings and goings of Queensland’s bird species.
The other is the annual IgNobel award ceremony. 2008 is a vintage year:
It’s hard to choose a favourite this year. Armadillos and archaeology would have to be up there, but based on the idea that how much you laugh correlates with how much you relate, I’m going with: “You Bastard: A Narrative Exploration of the Experience of Indignation within Organizations”, from the journal Organization Studies.
What You're Doing Is Rather Desperate 
I like the one about the “dignity of plants”. Vegans should be ashamed of themselves. If they were truly noble, they’d eat only chemically synthesized food and not exploit our vegetable cousins.