Summary: To round out 2011, NPR News put a new spin on an old chestnut, the end-of-the-year roundup. With the down economy and a series of natural disasters, it was a bad year for many in the U.S., but there are still people, businesses and ideas that have done well. We are going to highlight them in a series called "A Good Year." It's been a good year for Android phones, coconut water, deportations, beets and the word "swag." Along the way touched on topics from science to politics, hip-hop to hell. Here are some of the cultural connections from our series.
