Christ. Nicole uploaded a bunch of old photos to Flickr.
Otherwise: a slow summer begins in Rosstralia. Time to think about what is coming next. Stuff like a site redesign, putting my head on straight, stage two stage two stage two, etc.
Corey’s crushing news that he and his family are moving to Houston was delivered today. Sigh! It only took me thirty-five years to find an unobtrusive, early-morning coffee buddy.
Today I had the good fortune to have a Nate McFadden original piece of artwork donated to my permanent gallery, courtesy of the artist himself.
As usual, my tech-savvy friend Young clued me into what the kids are doing these days: sending ghosts, sheep and flag of different countries via “text message“.
Image courtesy of Young himself, who also totally blogged about how awesome we are.
Full disclosure: it was my wife who got the ball rolling with “fox in the snow.”
The end of 2008 saw me a bit heavier than usual (shirts curving at the buttons), happy to still have a job, but still wondering what the next era in my life will be. "Where do I see myself in five years?"
However, amongst all those inner, personal conflicts, I don’t have to worry about remembering what music I’ve listened to thanks to last.fm (since 2004). It’s no surprise that The National were in the one and two spots…"Blank Slate" was the best song of the year, even if it may have come out in 2007. (I thought Ida Maria’s "Oh My God" would have shown up in my year end charts, since it was probably the second best song.) In an odd twist of NPR becoming tastemaker, All Songs Considered turned me on to the third and fourth most listened to songs, the reedy Chris Bathgate and the chaoticly soothing We Versus The Shark. The National’s "Secret Meeting" probably hasn’t moved from my most listened to songs since 2006, and it stands in good company: Jawbreaker did just write the dumbest song that was a sing-a-long, Of Montreal’s Hissing Fauna… has the best bass lines from the last few years, and Breadwinner wrote them short and complicated, which is all I can handle sometimes. Scott started a Mission of Burma renaissance when he bought me their reissues for my birthday; Cut Copy reveals the fingerprint of my wife’s influence and is really the only modern-ish song on this chart; I will always love the streamlined-era Modest Mouse, as long as I don’t have to see them live ever again.
Honorable artists mentions: Tobin Sprout, Chris Garneau (a top favorite in 2007), Death Vessel, Dan Deacon, and Bozart. Thanks to AJ, Scott and Nathan for the often excellent tips.
Here is Don Caballero’s Ian Williams playing my favorite Don Cab song and chewing gum before launching into the best part. Happy holidays.
Bonus video. What Burns Never Returns truly is the best album ever recorded. Wear your guitar high or go home.
Mourning another cracked pizza stone. Might be time for an upgrade. They had me with “…ultimate, cheap home pizza oven.”
I’ll see you, my new favorite 10 man a capella group, next Monday night.
I’m a big fan of the Pentel Twist-Erase. So are other people.
It’s that magical time of year…wherein Lou Monte’s classic Dominick the Donkey is broken out.
I don’t know who wrote one of my favorite lines in the history of words: …BUT NOT AS BRIGHTLY LIT, but it is incredibly useful, from discussing Photoshop files to driving conditions. ♥