Top albums of 2007, the final 10

I guess with it being the last day of 2007 I should get a move on with this, huh?

COMPLETE LIST HERE

#10 Soundtrack, Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof

I usually don’t put soundtracks on these lists because it is usually a random collection of songs that the producer threw in the movie. But Quentin Tarantino usually takes the soundtracks very seriously, and can find semi-obscure songs that fit the movie perfectly. These songs illustrate the movie perfectly and are awesome.
Standout track(s): 16-chick-habit.mp3 /02-baby-its-you.mp3

#9 I’m From Barcelona, Let Me Introduce My Friends

I feel like this is one of those kids’ sing-along-records because it’s so catchy. I love those Swedes.
Standout track(s): 03-were-from-barcelona.mp3

#8 Amy Winehouse, Black to Black

How can this not be on here? I still hold my ground that her “persona” is fabricated to create an ilage.
Standout track(s): 05-back-to-black.mp3

#7 Mary Onettes, The Mary Onettes

I am not even sure how I found out about this band. But seriously, they sound straight out of 1984. And I mean that in a good way.
Standout track(s): 09-the-mary-onettes-under-the-guillotine.mp3

#6 The Go! Team, Proof of Youth

Everything they touch is gold. I thought their first album was fantastic, this one was ten times better. Can’t wait to see what they do next. I was also lucky enough to see them live this year. I felt like I was getting baptized.
Standout track(s): 10-flashlight-fight.mp3

#5 Alaska in Winter, Dance Party in the Balkans

I am actually surprised that I like this. This is the kind of stuff I usually loathe. But it is refreshing to me that people still can and wan to make music like this.
Standout track(s): alaska-in-winter-dance-party-in-the-balkans-09-staring-at-the-sun.mp3

#4 Bloc Party, A Weekend in the City

I can’t believe I was disappointed when this came out, I must have not listened hard enough. I like the level of fame that Bloc Party are now. I’m a little scared because their upcoming single “Flux” is a bit, shall we say, TECHNO, but I am sure that they will continue their trail of awesomeness.
Standout track(s): 02-hunting-for-witches.mp3

#3 Blonde Redhead, 23

This is beatiful, depressing, and haunting.
Standout track(s): 02-dr-strangeluv.mp3

#2 M.I.A. Kalla

This is probably the only hip-hoppish album you will ever see on any list of mine. This was a close contendor for my top spot. I also listended to this constantly as I was moving and when I first got here, and it got me through some rough stuff.
Standout track(s): 05-hussel-feat-afrikan-boy.mp3 / 11-paper-planes.mp3

#1 The White Stripes – Icky Thump

Some people say that the White Stripes keep releasing albums too quickly, but you know what? Each album is better than the last. Jack White is so prolific, it sounds like he may have written these songs in one sitting. Some of them are very structured, melodic, almost radio-friendly tunes, others are just some hardcore jam sessions. To quote Reen Big Fish, why do they rock so hard?
Standout track(s): 12-catch-hell-blues.mp3 / 04-conquest.mp3

I asked for Butterscotch the pony for Christmas and all I got was this disembodied head

Part of on ongoing series where I look at fucked up kids’ toys….

I totally had one of those Barbie stylin’ heads when I was little, you know, the one that is just a head with a purpose of styling their [synthetic, stringy nylon] hair and putting makeup on it. I get it, I do. It made a lot of sense for me, because in reality, all I liked to do was brush my dolls hair. They still makes those things, and it may be just me, but these things are fucking scary these days. Example A:

What the fuck? It’s a head that “talks” and “sings” alongside a mutant monkey child and other animals. If you want nightmares for a week, watch the commercial. It’s bad enought it’s just a head, now it talks to me?

At least these two have each other for company as they spend eternal damnation with no bodies.

This one managed to lift up her hands and get collogen injections before the guillotine dropped.

Oh my god! Even the children are not safe!

Is that war paint?

One of the scariest of them all: This one is clutching a baby dog that looks scared shitless.

Lest we not forget the severed horse’s head.

2008- looking good already

I’ve already heard several great albums from 2008, and this is one of them. Funny, I never really liked the Magnetic Fields before this. Stepen Merritt, the brainchild behind the MFs, is kind of an overrated songwriter. It was kind of an indie-rock staples that I never really understood. Arguably this album sounds very similar to their others, but it’s the only one I like and it’s frigging good. You know how I am bad at decribing music, but it sounds kind of like a modern synth-pop version of the Beach Boys.

Also, I am deleting the link in a few days. Click here and change the “xx” to “tt.

come on feel it feel it

I had to post this because I just heard it on the radio on my drive home.

Um, when you think about it, the song is actually pretty fucking fantastic. Who woulda thunk we would have gotten an Oscar-nominated actor out of that one?

Lost update

Okay, finally got through Season One, although it dragged at the end there.

Season Two: HOLY CRAP. Now we’re getting somewhere. It’s like a whole new writing crew. The Dharma Initiative thing? Awesomeness. I am over Jack and his god complex and his need to control everyone. Also, everytime we see him sitting staring off into the distance and Kate plops herself next to him for a chat, I want to gouge my eyes out. Locke, who I didn’t like before, is pretty kick-ass. However, I wish the female characters were a bit more courageous and athletic. Kate just volunteers to do everything because she wants in Jack’s pants, Claire cried about her baby, and Shannon just changes clothes. Whenever there is a problem they run and get Sayid, and Locke always saves everyone. Were there all wimpy females on this plane? At least not in the front of the plane….At first I didn’t want there to be any mysical, scifi stuff and wanted everything to be based on reality, but that black smoke monster thing has me intrigued.

Bear with me here…the whole plot turn really reminds me of a Christopher Pike book. (He was a kickass teen horror writer in the late eighties/early nineties.) Something about the mix of science and deception and the strange black cloud thing in the jungle. His books would always reveal some weird sci-fi plot in the end having to do with some government experiment or weird altered reality. I can’t quite explain it, but maybe those of you that read his stuff can see it too.

Planet Hiltron

Planet Hiltron: John, this may even put your photoshopping skills to shame.

damn you americans for respecting the meaning of Christmas

Retail sales were down a lot this year, and the news coverage treats it with as much fear as global warming. Shouldn’t this be good news? That people are realizing that they arew trillions of dollars in debt or that theit kids need their love and attention and not a new Wii?

Sweeney Todd

From IMDB:

The film features a few cut songs from the Broadway musical. They are: “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” (and it’s many reprises); “Ah, Miss”; “Johanna” (as sung by Judge Turpin); “Parlour Songs”; “City on Fire”; “Epilogue”. As well as the elimination of singing of the ensemble completely. There are also a few cuts within the remaining songs. The only songs to remain in tact are: “Epiphany”, “Pretty Women”, “Johanna” (both Anthony’s and Sweeney’s), “The Worst Pies in London”, “Poor Thing” and “My Friends”.

And that was my biggest complaint! Sure, they needed to cut back for timing, but some of the awesomeness was the ensemble/”Greek Chorus” parts. And they changed the plot a little: Sweeney builds his own chair instead of orders it, among others. And how can they leave out “City on Fire” with the lunatics running the streets of London? You’d think Tim Burton would be all over that. The cuts of songs made Johanna have an absolutely useless role. And can we get an epilogue please? It was so needed. It is hard for me to judge the movie because I know literally every word and every note so I cringed when something was left out. Also, they seemed to cut out the humurous lines. Yes, there are several hymurous parts to i, but I guess Tim decided to go with horror movie, not black comedy.
But otherwise, it was good. Johhny Depp’s best work, I think and it was cool to see Sweeney/Ms. Lovett as a younger goth couple. Sacha Baron Cohen, pretty good. Costumes/makeup- should win the Oscar hands down. The singers were not strong, but whatdya goin’ do? But Sweeney Todd is probably my favorite music ever so I don’t think anyone can live up to the expectation.

For those of you that don’t know, I was in the orchestra for my high school’s production of the show (I know, what high school does this? Luckily we had a great music/drama program) and it was the one experience in high school that I actually enjoyed. High school musicians playing Sondheim? It totally improved my playing about 300%. Sondheim is awesome to play, even after a thousand times. I loved the experience and I loved seeing it put together. I don’t really remember the actors who were in it, but I remember them being good. I wonder how a high school production sounded? The music is pretty difficult. To me, it sounded awesome. The year after that we did South Pacific which sucked so, so badly and was so boring to play (the cello had some down beats for about 5,000 measures and barely any melodies) and the show was horrific.

There also seems to be a trend of musicals being made into movies, which really irks me, because it totally cheapens the musical experience. The only musical that I would LOVE to see as a musical is Assasins, another Sondheim musical. Can you imagine the possibilities? It will never get made because some conservatives may find it innapropriate (It’s a musical about people in the past who have assasinated/attempted to assasinate US presidents, and they all interact with each other and give their reasons why).

for all the goyim

I mentioned this Xmas rap song a while back, but someone pointed me towards a video of it. THe boys have the same message to all of my Jesus-worshipping friends as I do: have a funky, funky Christmas. I really meant it.

I think I might be dead inside.

I changed the template again because some of you were having trouble viewing the youtube videos. And some other formatting stuff.

I think I might be dead inside because I was in a full theater for a showing of Juno and there was sniffles and tears near the end. Uh, what? It was not a movie that at all touched me. In fact, I thought everything about it was trying too hard. I think it was trying to be a female version of Napolean Dynamite, with it taking place in a small midwestern town with a quirky teenage lead who utters one liners that the promoters are trying waaaayyyy to hard to make catchphrases. The writing was totally bad, with things happening for no reason. Michael Cera was supposed to be a lead? His characer was barely in it, and really didn’t add much to the story (but was adorable, of course). Boom, Juno was suddenly in love with him for no reason why. The whole Vanessa/Mark thing resolved waaaaay to easy, like suddenly they have a fight and then suddenly she’s having a nice glass of wine and he’s all “so, divorce, that’s all settled.” For a short time I thought she was going to suddenly decide to keep the baby after all, and if that happened I may have stormed out. At least she still gave it up. I think this was still a subversive anti-abortion message veiled in a hipster indie film, much like Knocked Up.

Speaking of Judd Apatow, someone needs to tell him he is not god’s gift and to stop greenlighting his movies- my next stop on my holiday movie marathon was Walk Hard, and oh my god this movie was a piece of shit.  It maybe got two chuckles from me, the rest was painful. The whole punchline was maybe worth a three minute SNL sketch, if that. What a mess. The only thing going for it was the stunt casting, and seeing Jack White as a puffy Elvis was worth the $7.50 I guess. I can’t believe I am saying this, but even the Jewish jokes went a bit far- and I am always the first to make fun of the Jews.

Over the next few days I am planning on seeing Atonement, Sweeney Todd, and I’m Not There. I will probably be let down.

Top albums of 2007, getting closer

#20 Bedouin Soundclash; Street Gospels

The closest to reggae I will ever get.
standout track: 04-trinco-dog.mp3

#19 Justice; Cross

Sounds life Daft Punk’s younger punk kid sister.
standout track: 06-phantom-pt-ii.mp3

#18 Enon; Grass Geysers…Carbon Clouds

Never a dull moment. The alternation of the voives totally does it for me.
standout track: 11-enon-labyrinth.mp3

#17 A Place to Bury Strangers; A Place to Bury Strangers

This stuff is really dark and scary. I imagine this is what “goth” kids listen to.
standout track: 06-breathe.mp3

#16 Kenna; Make Sure They See My Face

Angsty and electronicy.
Standout track: 10-better-wise-up.mp3

#15 Calla, Strength in Numbers

I am bad at explaining music. Their previous albums were super depressing, this is just as depressing but with more melody-driven stuff.
Standout track: 12-simone.mp3

#14 Editors; The End Has A Start

This is what Interpol SHOULD sound like.
Standout track: smokers-outside-the-hospital-doors.mp3

#13 The View; Hats Off to the Buskers

I definiately heard this in 2006, but it was officially released in the US this year. Again, the US has no taste and never really picked up on their awesomeness.
Standout track: 03-same-jeans.mp3

#12 The Raveonettes, Lust Lust Lust

Genius.I read a review somewhere that said this band is a perfect soundtrack to a David Lynch movie. Also, their imitation of the Jesus and Mary Chain is at times actually better than actual J&MC.
Standout track: 10-sad-transmisson.mp3

#11 The Comas; Spells

Sometimes I don’t understand why they are not as popular on the radio as Rihanna and the other stuff.
Standout track: 03-now-im-a-spider.mp3

Any predictions about what my top 10 are?

pineapple express

Judd Apatow really needs to get over himself. Ok, he did two good tv shows and some mediocre, subliminally sexist movies, but he is not god’s gift. Example: The Pineapple Express looks horrendous. However, Seth, I still love you.

so long farewell

Word on the street (and the geekboards) is that The 4400 has been canceled. Which is dumb because I’ve said it a million times already, Heroes IS A 4400 RIPOFF!

Douchefork

Well, Pitchfork picked its top 50 albums. No big surprises. LCD soundsystem and Panda Bear as their top albums? Yeech.

I will be first in line to buy a ticket.

Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey are going to be gay together! The only thing better would be a movie where Ewan does it with Christian Bale while wearing eye makeup. What? That exists? Little known fact about me: I find Jim Carrey oddly attractive. I know! Ew! We are not talking Ace Ventura era, we are talking post-2004, Jenny McCarthy-dating, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Jim Carrey. I’ll bet they are going to change the plot where the two guys are just bffs, not lovers. But a girl can dream.

straight people are so embarassing

This movie makes me want to rip out my ovaries and stomp on them until they are bloody pulp, if this is what being female is all about.

The “plot”:

A young woman (Heigl) who has made a career out of being a bridesmaid but never a bride faces her worst nightmare when her sister (Malin Åkerman) becomes engaged to the man of her dreams. Luckily, the wedding brings around the man (Marsden) who will change her bridesmaid status for good, along with the help of her nephew Brett (Ryan Laskey).

How much do you want to bet there will be montages set to Kt Tunstall or some shit like that? Or I’ll bet there will be a zany chase scene and the couple finally meet up on a busy street, stopping traffic, and when they kiss the whole city will cheer. Oh, how about a scene where the main character gets depressed and some girlfriends arrive with some chubby hubby to cheer her up. Maybe an overcontrolling mother? Probably a sterotypically gay wedding planner in there too. I’ll bet the sister will have cold feet the day if her wedding but Katy Heigl will calm her down and convince her to go through with it, even though she loves James and it will be the most selfless.act.anyone’s.ever.committed. Oo, ooo, oo, I’ll bet James will realize he loves Katy Heigl right when he is at the latar before he says “I do” and announces his true love to everyone, devastating the sister, but then they will get married but the SISTER will have to be the bridesmaid. Hardy har! I could go on forever.

But damn you James Marsden! Stop being charming and wasting your hypnotic bone structure in these crappy movies. You are cyclops! Cyclops doesn’t deal with this shit, he fucking kills people with his eye lasers. Get a grip.

Drive Shaft rulz!

Okay I am about three-quarters into the first season of Lost, and I’ve lost momentum. I’ve heard it gets bad than second season gets better, right? I actually could do without the flashbacks, quite frankly. [If I hear about Drive Shaft one more time...]I think you could do some character development with people’s actions on the island. Also, can we get an acting coach on set? Each actor has one facial expression they revert back to when stuck. [Jack] condescending scowl [Locke] amused smirk [Shannon] snotty frown [Sawyer] angry furrowed brow [Sun] scared subserviance and [Kate] blank stare. Seriously, and the impossibilities are getting to me.

I love how they are all wandering around a few square miles of island and always just happen to run into each other. And they are willingly all going in alone knowing that King Kong is loose in the jungle. Jack conveniently runs into people to get plot advancement info.

Seriously, who are these people who are not the main characters? Do they get a say in anything? Doesn’t one of them want to stand up to Saint Jack and Sawyer and say “just do it and get it over with already! I’m starving.” They are only useful for standing in the background and during golf tournaments.

Seems that Pier One has generously donated some of their decorative tiki torches.

Why are Jack and Kate all chummy chummy flirt flirt one episode after she was lying to him about the metal case ordeal (which was such a snooze). Why are Sun and Jin all lovey-dovey now? Did she momentarily forget that he is an abusive husband? And you’d think someone would have the idea to MAYBE teach him some basic English phrases to help with survival. And wasn’t Claire kidnapped? They seemed to forget about her a while and had some gold tournaments thrown in there.
Why the fuck does Shannon keep changing her earrings? I hope it’s not too many more episodes before the incest twins die. I’m over them.

They let Sawyer have the gun for two days  and didn’t try to get him back? Do they remember anything from the last week?

Someone please rifle through Sawyer’s loot and try and find a bra for Kate.

Ok, the hint that Walt is “special” somehow. If one more show uses the idea of people having special powers, I am going to scream.

yea so

I just got a copy of the new Nada Surf album that will be released in 2008. I’m in shock. Haven’t listened yet.

Believe it or else, I may have already found my top album of 2008. It’s Sons and Daughters new album, The Gift. Brilliant.

Dr. Tobias Funke may make an appearance on Scrubs. Maybe as an “analrapist”? That’s a combination of analyst and therapist, you sickos.

I was previously ignoring the fact that this movie even existed, but can you believe this is the voice of Simon?

The Dark Knight trailer leaked. When I watched it, something else leaked. My god, I talk about this movie a lot. Last time I babbled on about a movie coming out so much is was Brokeback Mt. Both starring Heath Ledger. What does that mean? Absolutely nothing.

little known fact: horses scare the bejeezus out of me

Hold on tight little girl, because horses and or/robotic horses will overtake humans one day. I’m not sure which ones, but it will happen.

So the hot new toy this year is Butterscotch, a robotronic horse that responds to touch, petting, grooming, and the feeding of a fake carrot. You can also sit on it and when you “bounce up and down” it will make galloping noises. Er, um. Apparently it is all the rage and costs $300. Another fact about it: it is fucking scary. Look at it! What is with that facial expression. I saw the demo in Target and it creeped me out so much I ran and ducked in the Issac Mizrahi section. Horses are also scary animals. They act all docile but in fact in a rage, once horse can probably kill several humans at once. I know the social brainwashing prescribes that all little girls love horses, but I was all, I’ll stick to my 11 1/2 inch Barbies, thankyouverymuch.

Oh my god, there is another one, called S’mores.

Ick. It’s eyes follow you no matter where you go.

No thanks, I’ll stick to Magic Hair Bratz. Or the Hannah Montana special collection. Or the gayest doll ever.

The Gum Thief

As a stand alone novel, it was nothing life-changing. But as a rabid Douglas Coupland fan, any prose that he writes is genius to me. He has a knack for writing a train of thoughts from “ordinary” people that make them fascinating. One of the characters is also writing a novel called Glove Pond, which reads almost like a Bret Easton Ellis novel. How does he do it? Is his writing effortless? Or does he excruciate over every sentence? I think these are my favorite Coupland novels, from favorite to least-favortie.

Microserfs
Girlfriend in a Coma
JPod
Eleanor Rigby
Shampoo Planet
Hey Nostradamus!
The Gum Thief
Generation X
All Families are Psychotic
Life After God
Polaroids from the Dead
Miss Wyoming (I totally loathed this one)

I cannot get enough lolcats. Is that wrong?

moar funny pictures

so say we all

Just an adendum to my thoughts of BSG:R: the dvd is worth renting/seeing. The extended version has some pretty kick-ass scenes not shown when it aired on tv, including a freking kick ass scene where young Adama battles an old skool Cylon in mid-air.

Also, Seth Rogan is GQ’s man of the year.

Also, I worship Alex Blagg.

Also, Lily Allen is way cool.

Best albums of 2007

#30 Fall Out Boy, Infinity on High

#29 Lily Allen; Alright Still

#28 The New Pornographers; Challengers

#27 Spoon; Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

#26 Black Kids; The Wizard of Ahhhs

#25 Rogue Wave; Asleep at Heaven’s Gate

#24 The Hives; The Black & White Album

#23 Matt & Kim; Matt & Kim

#22 Peter Bjorn & John; Writer’s Block

#21 Patrick Wolf; The Magic Position

you’ve got to be fucking kidding me with this.

Will Arnett will be the voice of KITT. [source]

you have got to be fucking kidding me with this.

Colin Firth, you’re off my list.

I like ruining this moment for everyone.

I don’t even give a crap. I am more offended by that imposing font.

American Doll X

For those of you that know me, you know that I am closet doll-lover. Heck, it’s not that secret, I have Barbies on display in my living room. The phenomenon of the American Girl Dolls is one that still wows me. They came out right around the time when it was no longer socially acceptable for me to really be playing with dolls. However, what is socially acceptable? If someone wanted to buy me an American Doll for Chanukah, I wouldn’t protest. That’s a hint. Just kidding. No I’m not. Or am I?

The premise is that the gals come from historical eras and it is supposed to teach girls about history. Sounds benign enough, right? Well, I just found out they created a new historical doll. Julie, who is from the 1970s. Does it get any better? She lives in the Haight in San Francisco! Woot? And she has a funky Chinese bff from Chinatown, natch. Why didn’t someone call me when this came out? Don’t you know me at all?

So yea, The funny thing is that the intentions is for girls to learn about crucial times in history, but it gets lost on the impact. For instance, the only black doll is…wait for it…an escaped slave from the civil war era. And her story is that she had a hard life, and now is beginning a new life with “nothing but a silver nickel and a smile” or some shit like that. Each doll comes with a set of accessories (which costs, no joke, hundreds of dollars). Now here’s the bed that goes with Samantha. the rich, spoiled Victorial-era gal.

Addie’s bed:

Damn! What girl would CHOOSE Addie’s bed over the other one?

Kaya’s the Native American doll, and for a mere $70, you can buy her teepee! And her worker dog!

Molly, who is from World War II era, accesorizes with camp gear. Hmmm, how much is the shame for the Japanese internment camps? Kirten is from colonial times. Was Addie her actual slave?

You are probably thinking that I am looking too much into it, that they are only dolls. Yes, I suppose that’s true. But, if you are making an attempt at teaching history, it’s pretty sucky when you paint the era as good and feature the clothing and accessories for the dolls as a big sell. If you are going to teach history, be more realistic.

Oh, but I still wasn’t kidding about getting me one for Chanukah. Just kidding. Or not.

on dvd today

Can you belieeeeeve I haven’t seen it yet? The cover makes me want to give myself a papercut and then pour lemon juice on it. I hate Corbin Bleu so much, and he never did anything bad to me.

The Hills are alive with the sounds of crap

Omg! Stop the press! The Hills may actually not be real! My world has been turned upside down. It’s no secret that I am drawn to this show like I am drawn to picking my scabs. I know I shouldn’t do it, it will be painful, and the long-term affects of doing it is awful. However, watching it has made me done some internal reflecting:

• I may actually may have more friends than Lauren does. I mean, I know her and Audrina are besties, but do they hang out with anyone else? They go out all the time, don’t you think they would meet other people?
• Lauren must be a genius. is she even still in school? When does Lauren study? Does she bring her books to Le Deux?
• Their parties are so freaking boring. That Halloween party? I just organized an office lunchtime potluck that was crazier than that.
• Whitney may be the only barely tolerable girl on the show. I just wish someone would tell her that she doesn’t need to add an extra “k” to the end of words ending in “ing.”
• My god, these gals are even more awkward on first dates than I am. Which is really scary.
• Justin Bobby? Kind of hot. Just sayin’.
• I hate when Whitney and Lauren freeze out NY intern Emily. At least she DOES HER JOB AND HAS SOME AMBITION! Lauren sits around with a dumb look on her face always waiting to be told what to do.

more Dark Knight

How badass is this batcycle? Either it’s badass or really stupid. I am unsure at the moment.

some gripes I have with Lost

okay, so I am halfway in the first season, and totally obsessed. Aren’t you glad Battlestar Galactica isn’t the only show I will gush over now? I have a hard time with suspension if disbelief, so I have some questions for the producers/writers:

• Why is there only one actual Australian person on a flight from Australia (Claire)?
• Why were there only conventionally good looking people on this flight? Oh, except for Hurley, who plays the fat-guy-for-comic-relief-role.
• Did Kate’s personal hairstylist also crash on the flight? Why do her curls always look freshly done?
• Where are the gays?
• Aren’t their forty-something survivors? I know that you can’t have an ensemble cast of 47-but was there an extras strike while filming? I guess they weren’t good-looking enough to be stranded.
• Wow, everyone has great skin after being in the sun for a week.
• Casting: why did you make Sawyer so attractive? He is a gross, misogynist sociopath, but I want him. I am so conflicted.
• People seem to recover from injuries super-quick. Dislocated shoulders, being punched multiple times, stab wounds, it all heals by the next day.

what a weekend

Someone thought it would be cute to do this to my car when I was parked in my RESERVED lot in my RESERVED space. Hoe can you even do that damage? And leave without leaving a note? There goes this month’s paycheck.

This is how angry it makes me:

I love the nineties

02-volcano-girls.mp3
04-guns_n_roses-dont_cry_original-iro.mp3
05-jennifers-body.m4a
04-santa-monica.mp3
boom-boom-i-want-you-in-my.mp3
ghetto-superstar.mp3
02-say-youll-be-there.mp3

Gah

Also, Michael Trucco apparently just broke his neck in a car accident. WHAT?  I am a horrible person, because my first thought was, I hope this didn’t affect his hotness, and two, I hope this means they won’t write him off the show. In fact, they could incorporate it- maybe getting into an accident because he was flying his viper under the unfluence. Just sayin’. Oh, and for those of you wondering, that was the first time I was on that forum. Those fans are even a little too much for me.

what my Target purchases say about me

So, ran to Target to pick up some random stuff like essentials and other stuff I needed. Okay, so it was a Friday at around 9pm but whaddya going to do? My purchases: a new optical mouse (mine just broke thus hindering my blogging ability), a cat toy, toilet paper, a chocolate cake for an upcoming office party, a new frying pan, a jumbo pack of toilet paper, and a some hydicortisone cream (I have a burn on my leg. Long story).

Here’s what the cashier probably thought: I was going to go home on a Friday night, watch porn on the internet, talk to my cats, and stuff my face with chocolate cake, and medicate my STD. Fantastic.

best albums of 2007 #40-31

previously on..

#40 Animal Collective; Strawberry Jam

#39 The Killers; Sawdust

#38 Handsome Furs; Plague Park

#37 Beirut; The Flying Club Cup

#36 The Rakes; Ten New Messages

#35 Shout Out Louds; Our Ill Wills

#34 Gogol Bordello; Super Taranta

#33 Black Lips; Good Bad Not Evil

#32 Manic Street Preachers; Send Away the Tigers

#31 Tiger Army; Music From Regions Beyond

pop culture round up

First things first…how awful is the SATC movie trailer? I can’t bring myself to watch. Please let me know how horrid it is. [youtube link]

Um…uh…I need to be alone for a minute.

I’m Learning To Share!: Fashion ads from Ebony Magazine, 1970 – ‘76

Black Kids: Artist to Watch 2008 Hate the name, love this band.

The Joker Revealed Early! – Superhero Hype! Looks pretty stupid, imo.

A First Show for Banksy in New York Went overnight from vandalizing subway cars to being a favorite of Brangelina.

It’s news like this that made me wish I never left New York.

Seth Rogen’s Girlfriend: Pissy, Pretty [Snap Judgment] I am so jealous I could scream.

Christian Bale needs to understand that he doesn’t need to take EVERY ROLE HE IS OFFERED.

Whaaaa? Dropkick Murphys on CNN?

Speed Racer movie: stupid or awesomely kitschy?

Anthiny Bourdain + Queens of the Stone Age + food = my ultimate fantasy

Lost

Wow, I am about four years too late with this, but I FINALLY started watching Lost Season One. pretty fricking awesome so far, why am I always drawn to end of the world-type scenarios? I am happy that network tv actually does make something somewhat intelligent. It’s going to be hard to shield myself from any spoilers. Although I do know something about a metal hatch on the island, whatever that means.

My favorite part about New Year’s

is of course, the roundup of best-of lists. Most importantly, my own. I couldn’t help but get a jump on my top albums of the year list. This year I decided to go for a numbered list, although it really is more like 5 tiers of like than each one ranked individually. This may change because I always forget to add something last minute, but here’s the beginning.

50. Imperial Teen; The Hair, The TV, The Baby, The Band

49. Black Francis, Bluefinger
This is why the Pixies do not need to reunite: Frank Black does just fine on his own.

48. Robbers on High Street, Grand Animals

47. Earlimart, Mentor Tormentor

46. Rooney, Calling the World
Who would have though that the band would last, and they could make a decent album? I didn’t.

45. Say Hi, The Wishes and the Glitch

44. Voxtrot, Voxtrot

43. Queens of the Stone Age, Era Vulgaris

42. Saturday Looks Good to Me, Fill Up the Room

41. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Is Is

The only Xmas songs I can tolerate

Having never celebrated Christmas, there’s a lot I just don’t get. Don’t you ever get sick of Christmas music? Hearing the same songs year after year? Do you realize that they are terrible? I want to kill whoever wrote “Jingle Bell Rock”….I just checked Wikipedia. It’s some guys from the !960s. And everyone who sings “Silent Night” is totally out of tune- that’s a hard key to sing in. Aren’t there any new Christmas songs that catch on and become tradition? I thought it would be “This One’s For the Children” but I guess I was wrong. Okay, Okay, there are three songs that I can stand to hear during Christmastime. I would love to see

U2, christmas-baby-please-come-home.mp3
Yes, I know this is a cover. But back when U2 weren’t making ipods they made it really kick ass.

Mariah Carey, all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you.mp3
I think this song was designed by scientists from Nasa to make it impossible to hate it.

No Doubt, oi-to-the-world.mp3
If you can believe it, once upon a time, No Doubt was a ska band and Gwen Stefani’s ego was not as big. If all Xmas music was like this, I’d put on my checkered suspenders and docs and totally convert.

careful consumerism

Today I caught a showing of What Would Jesus Buy?, the documentary about overconsumption and the commercialization of Christmas, featuring a group I have followed for quite some time, Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping. I am not sure how much they get their word across, but their spontaneous performances and people’s reactions were interesting. I wish the movie showed more insights and solutions, but it was pretty eye opening anyway. How do we even start to change consumerism when people’s desire for low prices keep juggernauts like Wal-Mart in business? And if kids are fed consumerism and beg for the things they see, how can parents say no to this? Anyhoo, I consider myself a member of the church of stop shopping because anyone who claims that Mickey Mouse is the anti-christ is worth following.

you know you are getting old when

you are watching the newly released My So-Called Life dvd box set and you realize that Angela is a brat to her parents and relate a bit more to her parents. Angela, why so self-centered? Also, I used to be in LURVE with Jordan Catalano but this time around found him to be dumb and shallow (but oh so cute). Also, Brian Krakow is probably the better choice. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? I guess that’s growing old for you.

Dorsia

I like how the name of Dorsia clothing line is a reference to American Psycho, a critique of the urban-based, status obsessed, materialistic, amoral, and impersonal yuppie culture. Yet the designers of this line totally embody that. Without even realizing they are missing the irony. Nowadays clothing designers take an iron on and throw it on a t-shirt and make a line of clothes. Just like coked out rich kids play songs off their ipods and become superstar DJs.