Saturday, July 18, 2009

Celebrity Playlist

iTunes does these nifty little celebrity playlists where the rich and famous get to make a list of their favorite songs and say why and then you can buy the songs so you feel closer to them. I look at these occasionally and judge celebs on their musical taste/maturity... so in the spirit of open communication, here is what I would put (at least right now) on my celebrity playlist if I were rich/famous and iTunes loved me enough (in no particular order):

  • "Junior Kickstart" - The Go! Team - This makes me feel like I can do anything, ever.
  • "Hold On You" - Ponderosa: They have a classic sound that can melt into your soul. They've totally tangled their way into my heart.
  • "Don't Move" - Butch Walker: It is impossible to pick just one song by Butch as my favorite, but this one is particularly meaningful and I just love his music to death. Listen to all of it.
  • "Existentialism on Prom Night" - Straylight Run: More often than not I feel like I would "kill for this just a little bit"
  • "Tech Romance" - Her Space Holiday: Frequently the line "just another film that won't get made" is how my relationships go... and it is a beautiful void.
  • "Come Pick Me Up" - Ryan Adams: Boy has got soul and I love the sentiment of this song.
  • "Red Right Ankle" - The Decemberists: I'd love it if Colin Meloy would write and sing a biographical song about my life. The language would be elegant and the mood, dark yet happy.
  • "Badfish" - Sublime: I feel like this is my criteria for boys: Tell me, are you a badfish too?
  • "Simple Man" - Lynyrd Skynyrd: Southern boys singing all sorts of truth; you cannot go wrong if you follow this advice.
  • "All My Mistakes" - The Avett Brothers: I think I'd like this to play at my wedding or some romantic moment with a man that I love.
  • "Good Year for the Roses" - Elvis Costello: I had a hard time picking which Elvis Costello song to put on this list, but I really like this one because it is soft and delicate.
  • "Okay I believe you but my tommy gun don't" - Brand New: There is a reason my blog is named after this song. "We are never alone"
  • "A Favor House Atlantic" - Coheed & Cambria: I just love to blast this and sing and dance around. Probs not their intention, but whatev.
  • "Whatever You Like" - T.I.: I've said multiple times that I want to have a little recording of this in my pocket to play for people when they ask me questions: "you can have whatever you like"
  • "What Are They Doing In Heaven Today" - Washington Phillips: I have an old recording of this that I rediscovered thanks to the movie Elizabethtown and it just makes me happy.
  • "Tiny Vessels" - Death Cab for Cutie: This reminds me of Jordan and all the reasons why it didn't work and how it is better that way. Lost love, awww.

I can think of like 1000 other songs that I love and would want people to know that I love them. BUT since I can't go on forever and most people don't actually care I will stop here.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

I Hope You Do

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….
You’re not as fat as you imagine.
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is aseffective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you.
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.
Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen…

At the Box



Finding that shaded region is what I try to do everyday at work

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Wanna Take That Ride With Me?



































So I saw Public Enemies the other day and it was fantastic. I am not sure I understand why they are making John Dillinger a hero or if they do a good enough job with the other half of the story of his life and life of crime, but man, is Johnny Depp ever attractive. I guess it is the same old story of glamorizing violence and blah blah blah, but I was just blinded by his charm, wit, intelligence and dashing good looks. I would totally have dated a depression era public enemy.





My favorite reference to John Dillinger ever (though not entirely historically accurate):
High Fidelity
Rob: John Dillinger was killed behind that theater in a hale of FBI gunfire. And do you know who tipped them off? His fucking girlfriend. All he wanted to do was go to the movies.

Go Fatty Early

Practical real world advice from The University of Andy











(via the author of Upper Harmonics)

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Enjoy, Patriots!

Oh My God Bless America

So you know how they often ask famous people which actor or actress would play them in a bio-picture. I think I can say with complete confidence that if sex did not matter (like with Cate Blanchett as Dylan in I'm Not There) I would chose Mandy Patinkin to play me. The reasons are as follows: a. INIGO MONTOYA b. Criminal Minds c. Dead Like Me d. his voice e. swagga f. totally looks like me, obvs.
















Happy 4th of July! Go America!




And finally, here is some weird shit and more reasons to hate pregnancy: WTF!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Bing Theater

So Microsoft has a new search engine called Bing (because MSN search sucked so royally).

And their ad campaign is kind of catchy but really it describes what I believe to be a wikipedia phenomenon not a "search" phenomenon.



With wikipedia you just keep clicking and clicking until you are looking at Judd Apatow's wikipedia page and wondering why he dropped out of USC when you originally were looking up Danish food. When you are searching for something with a search engine you are far more selective about what you click on - if you are searching with purpose (i.e. I need a recipe for X instead of wikipedia-ing Danish foods for fun). Am I wrong?

Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young" by Mary Schmich