My Top Albums of 2009

Top 40 Albums of 2009
1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
2. Brand New - Daisy
3. Passion Pit - Manners
4. Girls - Album
5. Tegan & Sara - Sainthood
6. Phoenix - Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus
7. The xx - xx
8. Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Pains of Being Pure at Heart
9. Cut Off Your Hands - You & I
10. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - The Century of Self
11. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
12. Raveonettes - In and Out of Control
13. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
14. The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love
15. Morrissey - Years of Refusal
16. Japandroids - Post-Nothing
17. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
18. Crocodiles - Summer of Hate
19. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
20. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South
21. Memory Tapes - Seek Magic
22. The Soft Pack - The Muslims
23. Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper
24. The Dodos - Time to Die
25. Real Estate - Real Estate
26. Discovery - LP
27. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
28. Matt and Kim - Grand
29. Pearl Jam - Backspacer
30. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
31. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
32. Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand
33. Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels
34. Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young
35. U2 - No Line on the Horizon
36. Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
37. Why? - Eskimo Snow
38. Metric - Fantasies
39. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
40. Sonic Youth - The Eternal

Top 10 EPs of 2009
1. The Drums - Summertime!
2. Bon Iver - Blood Bank
3. Death Cab for Cutie - The Open Door
4. Superchunk - Leaves In the Gutter
5. Delorean - Ayrton Senna
6. Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind
7. Washed Out - Life of Leisure
8. Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Higher Than the Stars
9. Fight Like Apes - You Filled His Head with Fluffy Clouds and Jolly Ranchers, What Did You Think Was Going to Happen?
10. Deerhunter - Rainwater Cassette Exchange

Most Overrated Albums of 2009
Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
The Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
St. Vincent - Actor

Biggest Personal Disappointments of 2009
Youth Group - The Night Is Ours
Peter Bjorn & John - Living Thing
John Vanderslice - Romanian Names
The Dead Weather - Horehound
Eminem - Relapse

Albums I Wish I Heard
Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy
The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
Atlas Sound - Logos
Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms

Camokini

"The pervasiveness of camouflage - from fashion to war - attests to the troubled relationship with violence that seems to characterize modern times." - Thomas Hirschhorn

I Hate the Dentist

Dentist: "What we're gonna do is cut away the gum with a little electricity."'

Me: "That sounds awfully horrific."

Dentist: "Well, Benjamin Franklin actually had an idea to use electricity to kill animals. He thought it would be more humane. OK. Ready to begin?"

Seattle Seahighlighters

"Check out the new Seahawks jerseys. If you don't think they're awesome, you need awesome lessons."

- Neil Everett, SportsCenter

Adopting a Theory by Megan Fox

This month's RollingStone features an in-depth interview with the adroit Megan Fox. She drops pearls of wisdom left and right, but the one I'll be taking to heart is her advice on how to avoid dieing in a plane crash:

"She happily elaborates on why she likes to listen to Britney Spears on her iPod while flying: 'Flying really freaks me out, but I know that it's not my destiny to die while listening to Britney.' "

So, next time I'm on a plane, I'll be sure to be pumping some Nickelback. Real loud.

Satan

I went for a jog this evening and was pleased to come upon some sidewalk-chalk graffiti. Written in the middle of the street (in pink, mind you) was "I love Satan". Kids these days...

37 Years

My parents have been married 37 years as of today. Not to sound cheesy, but hopefully I learned something from them.

I feel the need to recycle this excerpt from an old MySpace blog since MySpace is dead to me...

Quoting my Mom: "Marriage isn't about how many rooms of the house you can have sex in; it's about being there for the other person when they need you... it's having your husband hold a pillow against your boo boo."

As Andre 3000 would say, "Thank God for Mom and Dad, for sticking through together."

Location, Location, Location

Barb and I want to move in the fall of 2010. We know what we want but we don't know where it exists. On our own, we both came up with a list of 10 requirements that our new location would ideally have. Do you know if this place exists? Help!

My Requirements (in no order):
- near the ocean (preferably with an irregular coastline)
- town has a "main street" (plenty of food options)
- within 1 hour of mountains/hiking
- no-snow winters
- major music scene within 1 hour
- close proximity to a major sports market
- affordable real estate for future house buying
- lots of outdoor activity options
- town is a little funky / has charm / history
- must photograph well

Barb's Requirements (in no order):
- walk-able "downtown"
- ocean or lake within 30 minutes
- MLB park doable in a day
- university / college to work at
- mild winters, low humidity
- young family vibe (not old or young high school / college vibe)
- potential to buy property before we're 30
- classy food scene
- free outdoor entertainment and fun (ex: beach movies)
- slower pace of life

Bellybutton Legs

I had a dream a few nights ago and it's been freaking me out ever since. In my dream I had what I'll describe as "bellybutton legs".

I was sitting on a chair on a dock. Sticking out of my right thigh were 2 cardboard toilet paper tubes. They were about half-way in and my reasoning for having them was to hide my disfigured leg. I pulled them out and I had 2 "bellybuttons" on my right thigh ("innies", not "outies"). These were big bellybuttons though and whenever I picture them in my head my right leg tingles.

The Mirror Smearers

Note to Self: Nobody cares about your Fantasy Football team as much as you do.

Now that that's out of the way, our draft was last night and, as always, it was a great time. I'm not overly thrilled with my team, but I think I could put together a good season and even surprise myself a little bit.

With no further a-do, ladies & gentlemen, I present to you... the 2009... Mirror Smearers!!!

QB - Matt Ryan - ATL
RB - Maurice Jones-Drew - JAC
RB - Kevin Smith - DET
WR - Anquan Boldin (Keeper) - ARI
WR - Roddy White - ATL
Flex - Pierre Thomas - NO
TE - Kevin Boss - NYG
K - None Picked*
DEF - NY Jets
BN - Carson Palmer - CIN
BN - Darren Sproles - SD
BN - Michael Bush - OAK
BN - Jerricho Cotchery - NYJ
BN - Donald Driver - GB
BN - Bobby Engram - KC
BN - Mike Vick* - Free Agent

*I planned on picking a kicker in the last round, but I had the second-to-last pick so any kicker I would've ended up with would be mediocre. So I took Vick. I hate Vick, but my thinking was that I'll hold on to him for the next few weeks to see if he signs anywhere. If he does I can keep him or trade him. If he doesn't I drop him and pick up the kicker I would've drafted anyway.

Thank you, Old Man

Thank you, Old Man!

Today was the perfect day for you to back into my car with your Avalanche. What makes it even better is that...

1. Your shirt was on inside out.
2. You were backing out of a handicapped spot.
3. I was beeping at you to stop.
4. A woman was flailing her arms at you to get you to stop.
5. Your wife thought everything was funny, especially the rubber toy grenade on the ground about 20 yards away.
6. You couldn't provide insurance information.

Here's to faith in humanity.... please pay up, please....

Rules of Engagement

If slacking at blogging was skiing then I'd be first to the bottom of the mountain.

I'm not sure that made sense.

Well, the big news first: Barb & I are engaged! Woo-hoo!
Now, the 101 update:

8.) Get under 185lbs - I did. I'm currently at the 180 mark, which gives me some room to play with when it comes to #9 (remain under 185lbs). I'm not sure how to measure that because I think it's unfair that if I slip to 186 for a day it disqualifies the entire thing. Maybe I'll weigh in once a month and average it all out. Regardless, the first part is done.

35.) Send an (extremely weird, non-sensical) message in a bottle - I did. Over July 4th weekend Barb and I hosted Craig, Carla, Derby, and Erin down at her parent's place. At around midnight on Saturday, and a few drinks in, I whipped out my glass bottle, a pen, and a sheet of paper. I started the letter and proceeded to pass the note around in a circle until everyone added a few lines. I wish I transcribed it but I didn't. However, I know it included losing my virginity to the Beastie Boys, cherry picking, Neverland Ranch, and ended with "Dammit". Amazingly, we weren't lazy and walked down to the ocean and chucked it in for some very lucky person to find.

51.) Brew my own beer - I did. A few weeks ago I went over Jim's house and we went to the local home brew store. We picked out the ingredients we'd need for a nice Bavarian Wheat Beer and went back to his place to get started. I went back this past weekend to bottle it and can't wait for it to carbonate. Should be about 2 weeks before I tell you how good it is.

The Brewmaster himself:

54.) Cook 50 New Recipes - not quite there. So far I've made 38 out of 50, which is a tremendous pace. Being that some of these were made over July 4th weekend when I was in the midst of hosting / celebrating I got lazy and didn't bring my camera out. The real shame is not having a pic of the ahi because it featured the best damn grill marks I've ever made! At least I have eye witnesses.
Dijon Grilled Pork Chops:
Grilled Eggplant and Tomato:
BBQ Alaskan Salmon:
Corny Cous-Cous
Seared Ahi w/ Wasabi Vinaigrette over Baby Greens
Crispy Potato Cakes

62.) Re-learn CSS - I kinda did so I'm counting it. This was a goal of mine because I hope to go back to school for web design and/or programming. For those of you who don't know, CSS is a language similar to HTML that allows you to stylize and layout the content of your web site. It's like learning a new language, and is kind of tricky, but I would say I have the basics down. This past weekend I built our entire wedding site. It's currently not live, but once we confirm our reception site I'm going to post it.

65.) Learn 5 "popular" (read: recognizable) songs on the guitar - 2 of 5 - The Beatles - "Can't Buy Me Love". The chords aren't hard, but I'm terrible at deciphering strumming patterns. Luckily, I found the strumming pattern online and can play along to it now. If they posted strumming patterns along w/ every tab I'd be a happy guy.

73.) Compile a playlist of my favorite song each week for a year - added some more. This one always makes me realize how long it's been between 101 updates...
The Dodos - Fools
Don Lennon - Junior Year Abroad
Good Old War - Looking for Shelter
Maritime - Parade of Punk Rock T-Shirts
Passion Pit - Little Secrets

78.) Read 30 books by 30 different authors - 2 more added bring the total to 13 of 30. I believe both of these were recommended by one Jennifer Scanlon, and coincidentally, today is her birthday. Happy Birthday, Jen!
Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451
Cormac McCarthy - The Road ... Honestly, this is one of the best books I've ever come across. I highly highly recommend it. Seriously.

94.) Photograph 5 sunrises in 5 different places - 1 of 5 done. I stayed up for the full 24 hours during Relay for Life and got the shot below. It's not the most stunning sunrise ever, but that's not part of the deal.
95.) Photograph 5 sunsets in 5 different places - 2 of 5 done. The first pic below is the sunset that came before the aforementioned sunrise. Again, nothing great but it counts. I'm also including a second one below it that I got on the 4th of July at LBI. It doesn't count towards my total because I already took one at LBI, but it's nice enough to include.
Some random photos from the past few weeks:

Long Island Wants to Secede

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Long Island Wants to Secede
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

11pm-12am on Comedy Central = Best Hour of TV (when LOST isn't in season)

A Joke From Mom

Mrs. Kohler:

2 young brothers are in a convenience store. They bring a box of tampons up to the cashier. The man behind the counter says, "Boys, do you know what these are?"
The older boy: "No."
The cashier: "Are you buying them for your mom? Your sister?"
The older boy: "Nope."
The cashier: "Then why on Earth would you want to buy these?"
The older boy: "I'm buying them for my brother. On the box it says 'you can swim, ride a bike, and play tennis.' He can't do any of these things!"

She heard this joke in church.

Brad Pitt Stop

I'll copy and past the full article:

"Brad Pitt is accustomed to stopping passersby in their tracks. The Hollywood heartthrob's next job is slowing traffic in Siberia... or so Russian traffic police hope.

A Russian newspaper reports that cardboard cutouts of Pitt dressed as a traffic cop have been placed by the most dangerous intersections in the city of Omsk.

It's the latest move by authorities in their endless battle against speeding. Traffic accidents in Russia are among the highest in Europe.

The campaign seems to be working. Omsk officials say accidents are down as star-struck drivers ease off the gas to gaze at the unusual image."

Kodachrome

Some recent shots that don't have frames:

Burn, Baby, Burn

"Most of us can't rush around, talk to everyone, know all the cities of the world, we haven't time, money or that many friends. The things you're looking for are in the world, but the only way the average chap will ever see ninety-nine percent of them is in a book. Don't ask for guarantees. And don't look to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library. Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore."

- Faber, from "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury

Obey 101

Some 101 updating is due:

54. I have now cooked 32 out of 50 recipes (can you tell I burn through a ton of charcoal and enjoy the taste of corn?):

Spicy Grilled Chicken
Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Curry Grilled Chicken
Grilled Pork with Avocado Salsa & Campfire Potatoes
Summer Vegetable Medley
55. There's not much I enjoy more than enjoying a beer in a brewery. It's like drinking milk straight from the nipple. I tackled my 2nd of 5 breweries while in Boston last week. After walking approximately 9 miles we stopped in to the Boston Beer Works outside of Fenway. Now, I know this falls on the wussy side of the beer line, but I went with a Watermelon Ale. I had to. I had never heard of such a thing, and I'll admit it was damn good and refreshing.
73. 3 more songs of the week... I can't believe I've been hacking at this list for more than half a year already...
Phoenix - 1901
Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire
The Church - Metropolis

75. I didn't report on this originally because I didn't even realize I did it, but a few months ago I checked out the University of Pennsylvania's Institute of Contemporary Art in Philly with Shu and Sheila. This past week, when I went to visit Jackie and Chris in Boston, we checked out Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art. It was pretty awesome because they had a Shepard Fairey exhibit entitled "Supply & Demand." Shepard Fairey is the guy behind the iconic Obama image seen everywhere during his campaign for President. They had the original on display, plus tons and tons of his "Andre the Giant Has a Possse" work. Yes, the same guy is behind both. It was a terribly inspiring and crushing exhibit to say the least. So... 75 = 2/5.

101. I was so close to fulfilling this one that it hurts. Damn you Ian Toth!!!!

Thank you Jackie.
Thank you Chris.
Thank you Dave, for driving.