Contemplating U2

Here is a confession that should surprise no one: U2 is, by far, my favorite band, and have been since high school. And I've seen them on every single tour since I've been old enough to drive myself to wherever it is that they are playing. So it should surprise no one that I will be attending their concert here next week.

In gearing up for said concert, one of the music critics at the Washington Post posted a blog ranking the 12 U2 studio albums from worst to best. Here is his list:

12. October (1981)
11. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004)
10. POP (1997)
9. No Line on the Horizon (2009)
8. War (1983)
7. All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)
6. Rattle and Hum (1988)
5. The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
4. Boy (1980)
3. Zooropa (1993)
2. The Joshua Tree (1987)
1. Achtung Baby (1991)

At first I thought this list was dead wrong, but now I'm not sure. Like them, whether I rank Achtung Baby or The Joshua Tree as #1 or #2 depends on the day and whether I'm leaning towards dark and ambient or earnest soul-searching. As for the rest, I'd probably put The Unforgettable Fire as my #3, and move Rattle & Hum into the top 5. And I liked How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb a lot more than some of the other newer records. But they're clearly right on one thing: Generally speaking, newer (as in post-1990) U2 < older U2.

Soundtrack To My Life

I saw this meme somewhere a couple days ago and thought it was cute, but for some reason, I held off doing it. Today, though, since I was already tagged with one meme, I thought, "Heck, might as well do another."

The rules:

1. Set your i-Pod/MP3 player/wherever-you-keep-your-music to shuffle.


2. Press play.


3. For every question, type the song that's playing.


4. When you get to a new question, press next.

So here it is -- the soundtrack to my life:

Opening credits: All My Life -- Foo Fighters

Waking up: Daughter -- Pearl Jam

Falling in love: Vacation -- The Go-Go's

Fight song: Sober -- Tool

Breaking up: Don't Stand So Close To Me '86 -- The Police

Making up: All Eyes on Me -- Goo Goo Dolls

Life's okay: Rags to Rags -- Eels

Mental breakdown: The Boxer -- Simon & Garfunkel

Driving: Cool -- Gwen Stefani

Flashbacks: Where The Streets Have No Name -- U2

Happy dance: The Indoor Type -- Lemonheads

Regret: Angels of the Silences -- Counting Crows

Final Battle: With or Without You -- U2

Death scene: Wild is the Wind -- Bon Jovi

Final credits: Love is Blindness -- U2

Man, I have a lot of U2 on this list. And as a whole, the outcome seems a little too much like some boring romance that ends poorly. Still, I can be thankful that at least no embarrassing boy band songs came up.

Since turnabout is fair play, Ryane, I tag you -- along with anyone else that wants to do it too.

Today's random music

These are the random songs I listened to on my morning commute. Last week, I listed five random songs; this week I'll list six -- but only because the last one is U2. Here they are, in order:

• A Lifetime, Better than Ezra
  I can't believe this song wasn't a hit. It's so perfectly nostalgic.

• Cold Hard Bitch, Jet
  I really liked this song when I first heard it. Now I'm kind of over it. Meh..

• Trees, Marty Casey
  The runner-up on last year's Rock Star. I really liked him, but agree that he's not as good a fit for INXS as J.D. When I was up in Chicago a couple weeks ago, there were signs plastered all over the place for some concert/festival he was playing at up in Wisconsin.

• Boys Don't Cry, the Cure
  This was the first Cure song that I ever heard. It's what, 30 years old now? Still an amazing, amazing song.

• Don't Bother, Shakira
• Yeah, Shakira. I'm not really a giant fan, but this is a great song. It's about jealousy. The lyrics are good, and she delivers it like someone who knows what she's talking about. Not that I buy it for a second.

• Beautiful Day, U2
  My favorite band; not one of my favorite songs. Still, it's U2, so by definition, it's better than most. Plus, this is a live version, from the U2 Go Home: Live at Slane Castle DVD. The song is upbeat, about seeing the beauty and wonder in things even when they're not perfect. It's certainly a good way to start the day.

This week in music

I generally have a pretty short commute to and from work, and I usually listen to my MP3 player on random. These are the songs I listened to this week, starting with the least recent:

• Open Up Your Eyes, Tonic
• Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, U2 (live)
• Ants Marching, Dave Matthews Band
• Love Will Tear Us Apart, Joy Division
• Wheel in the Sky, Journey
• She Loves You, The Beatles
• Two Step, Dave Matthews Band
• At Last, Etta James
• Angel, Sarah McLachlan
• Singing in My Sleep, Semisonic
• Black, Pearl Jam
• Calling All Angels, Train
• Wild Boys, Duran Duran
• Brass Monkey, Beastie Boys
• Hold My Hand, Hootie and the Blowfish
• Jumper, Third Eye Blind
• Hanging By A Moment, Lifehouse
• Promise, Eve 6
• High Enough, Damn Yankees
• Something's Missing, John Mayer
• Best of Both Worlds, Van Halen
• Maybe I'm Amazed, Paul McCartney & Wings
• Walk Away, Bree Sharp
• Bed of Roses, Bon Jovi
• Burn, The Cure
• Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel
• The Best of What's Around, Dave Matthews Band
• New, No Doubt
• Rapture, Blondie
• Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, U2
• Summer Wine, The Corrs and Bono
• White Flag, Dido (Live)
• All Eyes on Me, Goo Goo Dolls
• A Lack of Color, Death Cab For Cutie
• Can't Help Falling In Love With You, U2 (live from Zoo TV tour)
• Dreams, The Corrs
• No Such Thing, John Mayer
• Sour Girl, Stone Temple Pilots
• Bitter Tears, INXS
• The Mountains Win Again, Blues Traveler
• Come Rain or Come Shine, Don Henley (MTV Unplugged)
• Bring Me Some Water, Melissa Etheridge (live acoustic version)
• Jump, Van Halen
• Misunderstood, Bon Jovi (live version)
• Because the Night, 10,000 Maniacs
• 18 and Life, Skid Row
• Hey Ya, OutKast
• All I Really Want, Alanis Morissette
• Layla, Eric Clapton
• Mystify, INXS (live version)
• Elvis Presley and America, U2
• Suck My Kiss, Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Slither, Velvet Revolver

I have 1500+ songs on the MP3 player, and this a random -- not representative -- 3.4%. I'm still not sure whether this makes me a popist or a rockist.

Albums of the Year(s)

Last year, the AV Club ran an article based on something they saw somewhere else -- which is essentially a highbrow meme -- where they picked a favorite album for each year they've been alive. Of course, I think it's kind of a neat idea. So, here are my favorite albums for each year that I've been alive:

1975: Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac
1976: Hotel California, The Eagles
1977: Rumours, Fleetwood Mac
1978: Outlandos d'Amour, The Police
1979: London Calling, The Clash
1980: Boys Don't Cry, The Cure
1981: Escape, Journey
1982: Thriller, Michael Jackson
1983: Madonna, Madonna
1984: The Unforgettable Fire, U2
1985: Songs From the Big Chair, Tears for Fears
1986: Slippery When Wet, Bon Jovi
1987: The Joshua Tree, U2
1988: New Jersey, Bon Jovi
1989: Disintigration, The Cure
1990: Violator, Depeche Mode
1991: Ten, Pearl Jam
1992: Wish, The Cure
1993: August and Everything After, Counting Crows
1994: Grace, Jeff Buckley
1995: A Boy Named Goo, Goo Goo Dolls
1996: Crash, Dave Matthews Band
1997: Whatever and Ever Amen, Ben Folds Five
1998: Wide Open Spaces, Dixie Chicks
1999: There is Nothing Left to Lose, Foo Fighters
2000: No Name Face, Lifehouse
2001: Room For Squares, John Mayer
2002: Songs About Jane, Maroon 5
2003: Elephant, The White Stripes
2004: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2
2005: X&Y, Coldplay
2006: Stand Still, Look Pretty, The Wreckers
2007: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon
2008: Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, Coldplay
2009: Middle Cyclone, Neko Case

I'm shocked by how hard it was to make these choices, and how mainstream these choices are.

Fifteen Albums

(from Facebook)

The rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Choose fifteen albums you've heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes.

15. U2: Achtung Baby
14. Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
13. Pearl Jam: Ten
12. Dave Matthews Band: Crash
11. They Might Be Giants: Flood
10. Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
9. U2: The Unforgettable Fire
8. The Cure: Disintegration
7. Nirvana: Nevermind
6. Guns N Roses: Appetite for Destruction
5. Bon Jovi: New Jersey
4. Madonna: Like A Virgin
3. The Police: Synchronicity
2. Led Zeppelin IV
1. U2: The Joshua Tree

Grammy Predictions

The Grammy nominations were announced this morning, but rather than discuss who should or shouldn't have been nominated, blah blah blah, I'm going to announce my picks. Well, at least for the categories that I listen to, or know something about, or care about -- or whatever. Because, in all honesty, I know nothing about Polka or Hawaiian music. And, as a disclaimer, I'm willing to admit that my only qualification to make these picks is that I buy a lot of albums, so I'm as likely to be wrong as much as anyone else. But still, everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Here's mine:

1. Best Short Form Music Video
   
   8th Of November -- Big & Rich
   When You Were Young -- The Killers
   Here It Goes Again -- OK Go
   Dani California -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
   Writing On The Walls -- Underoath
   
   To me, this is an easy choice. I've seen all but one of these, and honestly, the only one that stood out at all is OK Go. I mean, I devoted an entire blog entry to how awesome this video is. If it doesn't win, it was robbed. Best. Video. Ever.
   
   
2. Best Country Song
   
   Every Mile A Memory -- Dierks Bentley
   I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today -- Gretchen Wilson
   Jesus, Take The Wheel -- Carrie Underwood
   Like Red On A Rose -- Alan Jackson
   What Hurts The Most -- Rascal Flatts
   
   Alright. I admit it. I occasionally listen to country music that is not the Dixie Chicks. And I really like two of these songs -- I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today and What Hurts the Most. But neither will win. Heck, if Carrie Underwood won the Country Music Award (or whatever the heck those things are called), she'll probably win this too. Maybe Gretchen Wilson will win something else.



3. Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
   
   Who Says You Can't Go Home -- Bon Jovi & Jennifer Nettles
   Tomorrow Is Forever -- Solomon Burke & Dolly Parton
   Calling Me -- Kenny Rogers & Don Henley
   Midnight Angel -- Rhonda Vincent & Bobby Osborne
   Love Will Always Win -- Trisha Yearwood & Garth Brooks
   
   I just put this in so I could vote for Bon Jovi. Whatever.



4. Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
   
   Not Ready To Make Nice -- Dixie Chicks
   Heaven's My Home -- The Duhks
   Boondocks -- Little Big Town
   What Hurts The Most -- Rascal Flatts
   Leave The Pieces -- The Wreckers
   
   Love the Dixie Chicks. Love the Wreckers. Like Rascal Flatts. I think the latter will win this one, though.



5. Best Alternative Music Album
   
   Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not -- Arctic Monkeys
   At War With The Mystics -- The Flaming Lips
   St. Elsewhere -- Gnarls Barkley
   Show Your Bones -- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
   The Eraser -- Thom Yorke
   
   I have no idea why Gnarls Barkley is in this category. They won't win, will they?



6. Best Rock Album
   
   Try! -- John Mayer Trio
   Highway Companion -- Tom Petty
   Broken Boy Soldiers -- The Raconteurs
   Stadium Arcadium -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
   Living With War -- Neil Young
   
   I love the John Mayer Trio album, but it's blues, not rock. I think the Raconteurs will win this, because they're critical darlings. And it's a pretty good album.



7. Best Rock Song
   
   Chasing Cars --Snow Patrol
   Dani California -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
   Lookin' For A Leader -- Neil Young
   Someday Baby -- Bob Dylan
   When You Were Young -- The Killers
   
   This is one of those categories where I like each song for completely different reasons, so none of them stand out. I sort of hope that Snow Patrol win this one, because they're like nothing else out there right now. But I can't get When You Were Young out of my head lately.



8. Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
   
   Talk -- Coldplay
   How To Save A Life -- The Fray
   Steady, As She Goes -- The Raconteurs
   Dani California -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
   The Saints Are Coming -- U2 & Green Day
   
   See #3 and substitute "U2" for "Bon Jovi." No, seriously, even though the song was supposed to benefit Katrina victims, I don't think it'll win. I love How to Save a Life, but it won't win either (too "pop"). Coldplay is so last year, so give my vote, again, to the Raconteurs. And it's a great song.



9. Best Dance Recording
   
   Suffer Well -- Depeche Mode
   Ooh La La -- Goldfrapp
   Get Together -- Madonna
   I'm With Stupid -- Pet Shop Boys
   Sexy Back -- Justin Timberlake & Timbaland
   
   Still trying to figure out how Depeche Mode wound up in this category. Give my vote to J.T.



10. Best Pop Vocal Album
    
    Back To Basics -- Christina Aguilera
    Back To Bedlam -- James Blunt
    The River In Reverse -- Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
    Continuum -- John Mayer
    FutureSex/LoveSounds -- Justin Timberlake
    
    I really like the John Mayer album, but it won't win. And James Blunt is annoying. And as much as I like Elvis Costello . . . It'll be between Xtina and J.T. I think Xtina will win.



11. Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
    
    For Once In My Life -- Tony Bennett & Stevie Wonder
    One -- Mary J. Blige & U2
    Always On Your Side -- Sheryl Crow & Sting
    Promiscuous -- Nelly Furtado & Timbaland
    Hips Don't Lie -- Shakira & Wyclef Jean
    
    I didn't like the new version of One the first time I heard it, but it's starting to grow on me. Just the same, I think it's going to go to Promiscuous or Hips Don't Lie. I vote for the latter.



12. Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
    
    My Humps -- The Black Eyed Peas
    I Will Follow You Into The Dark -- Death Cab For Cutie
    Over My Head (Cable Car)-- The Fray
    Is It Any Wonder? -- Keane
    Stickwitu -- The Pussycat Dolls
    
    Just for the record, My Humps is a seriously dumb song. I think it's going to be between The Fray and Keane. I don't care which.



13. Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
    
    You're Beautiful -- James Blunt
    Save Room -- John Legend
    Waiting On The World To Change -- John Mayer
    Jenny Wren -- Paul McCartney
    Bad Day -- Daniel Powter
    
    I'd like to see either of the Johns win this one. Mostly because I'm sick of James Blunt and Daniel Powter.



14. Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
    
    Ain't No Other Man -- Christina Aguilera
    Unwritten -- Natasha Bedingfield
    You Can Close Your Eyes -- Sheryl Crow
    Stupid Girls -- Pink
    Black Horse And The Cherry Tree -- KT Tunstall
    
    There is something about each of these that annoys me. KT Tunstall is the least annoying.



15. Best New Artist
    
    James Blunt
    Chris Brown
    Imogen Heap
    Corinne Bailey Rae
    Carrie Underwood
    
    Since this is the kiss of death, I sincerely hope that James Blunt wins this. He is whiny and malnourished-looking.



16. Song Of The Year
    
    Be Without You -- Mary J. Blige
    Jesus, Take The Wheel -- Carrie Underwood
    Not Ready To Make Nice --Dixie Chicks
    Put Your Records On --Corinne Bailey Rae
    You're Beautiful -- James Blunt
    
    Please, God, let the Dixie Chicks win this. This song kicks ass.



17. Album Of The Year
    
    Taking The Long Way -- Dixie Chicks
    St. Elsewhere -- Gnarls Barkley
    Continuum -- John Mayer
    Stadium Arcadium -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
    FutureSex/LoveSounds -- Justin Timberlake
    
    I can think of reasons that any of these artists can or should win this, or why they won't. I originally was tempted to say Gnarls Barkley would win this, but honestly, they're all about the song, not the album. I hope the Dixie Chicks win.



18. Record Of The Year
    
    Be Without You -- Mary J. Blige
    You're Beautiful -- James Blunt
    Not Ready To Make Nice -- Dixie Chicks
    Crazy --Gnarls Barkley
    Put Your Records On -- Corinne Bailey Rae
    
    When I close my eyes and think of the theme song to this year, it's Crazy. Not only is it awesome, but it can't be classified into any one genre. If it doesn't win I'll be surprised.

So, there you go. My list.

What do you think?

My life, as described by U2

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, "cleverly" answer these questions. Pass it on to 10 people and include me!

Pick Your Artist: U2

Are you male or female: The Ground Beneath Her Feet

Describe yourself: So Cruel

How do you feel about yourself: Magnificent

Describe where you currently live: City of Blinding Lights

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Where the Streets Have No Name

Your best friend is: Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

Your favorite color is: White as Snow

You know: Love is Blindness

What's the weather like: Electrical Storm

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Even Better than the Real Thing

What is life to you: Running to Stand Still

Your love life: Mysterious Ways

What is the best advice you have to give: Walk On

If you could change your name, what would it be: Miss Sarajevo

Your favorite food is: Crumbs from Your Table

Concert t-shirts

Admittedly, I have a lot of clothing. I have a particularly large collection of t-shirts. And when Pop Candy ran an article about favorite concert t-shirts, I realized that I had a lot to choose from. And since my cable box is busted -- I won't get the replacement until Saturday -- I had some time to think about it.

This one's my favorite, hands down:



Go figure.

This is a close second, though:



And those aren't even my only U2 t-shirts:





I even have a U2 crew t-shirt that I bought for my brother, back when he was going through a phase where he liked to wear employee shirts from places that he did not work. But I never did give it to him.



The second-largest number of t-shirts are from the Goo Goo Dolls. But that makes sense, considering that I've probably seen them the most of any band. Heck, I saw them four times on the same tour -- but I only bought one t-shirt then, and it's the one I cut up:





I'm pretty sure that I had another one -- a white t-shirt -- but I can't find it.

Next, I have two Beatles shirts:




Admittedly, I wasn't around to go to these concerts. But they still count, right?

After that, in alphabetical order, AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Counting Crows, Dave Matthews Band, the Doors, Pearl Jam, and Poison:









So, that's my collection of concert tees. It's only a small portion of a vast collection, though. Maybe later I'll post pictures of my four different CBGB's t-shirts.


Update: I sent the picture of my favorite in to Pop Candy, and they posted it.

30 Days of Truth: Day 13

Today I'm supposed to write a letter to a band or artist that has gotten me through tough times. My letter would be way too goofy. Instead, I'll just make a few comments.

As anyone who knows me already knows, my favorite band is U2. Heck, it was pretty much the soundtrack of my entire adolescence, from The Unforgettable Fire to The Joshua Tree to Rattle and Hum to Achtung Baby. To this day, whenever I need inspiration, I invariably default to The Joshua Tree or The Unforgettable Fire. Right before my mom died, I had gotten the 20th Anniversary deluxe re-release of The Joshua Tree, and I remember listening to it a lot in the hotel room in Newark.

Still, if I had to say that there was one song that helped me get through my mom's death, it wouldn't be a U2 song. It was, of all the random things in the world, a Lifehouse song -- Broken. A silly little pop song that made me pull over to the side of the road and bawl my eyes out.

The broken clock is a comfort
It helps me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow
From stealing all my time
And I am here still waiting
Though I still have my doubts
I am damaged at best
Like you've already figured out

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on
I'm barely holding on to you

The broken locks were a warning
You got inside my head
I tried my best to be guarded
I'm an open book instead
And I still see your reflection
Inside of my eyes
That are looking for purpose
They're still looking for life

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
Is there healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on
I'm barely holding on to you

I'm hanging on another day
Just to see what, you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on, to the words you say
You said that I will, will be okay
The broken light on the freeway
Left me here alone
I may have lost my way now
But I haven't forgotten my way home

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on
Barely holding on to you
Barely holdin on to you

It still brings me right back to that moment, when I was so lost, and so alone, and I had no idea what I was going to do next. Barely holding on, indeed.


Yesterday: Day 12 → Something you never get compliments on.
Tomorrow: Day 14 → A hero that has let you down. (letter)

Eight Things

Ryane tagged me. And, being a good sport, I'll play along.

The rules:
1. Post the rules, then list eight things about yourself.
2. At the end of the post, tag and link to eight other people.
3. Leave a comment at those sites, letting them know they've been tagged, and asking them to come read the post so they know what to do.

Here goes:
#1. What Greg said is true. Other than hairstyle and fashion choices, I look pretty much exactly the same as I did in high school. (Well, I have a little more gray hair . . .) Anyone who knew me then would be able to recognize me.


#2. I have CDs of 33 different U2 concerts. Legally obtained, of course.


#3. My idea of love goes something like this:

I read bad poetry
Into your machine
I save your messages
Just to hear your voice
You always listen carefully
To awkward rhymes
You always say your name,
Like I wouldn't know it's you,
At your most beautiful
***
At my most beautiful
I count your eyelashes, secretly
With every one, whisper I love you
I let you sleep
I know you're closed eye watching me,
Listening
I thought I saw a smile

Every time I hear it, I melt a little.


#4. The last CD that I bought has both R.E.M. and U2 on it. (Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur.)


#5. I am currently looking at a poster of Real Genius, featuring a very very young Val Kilmer.


#6. I have a scar on my right knee from an incident involving a metro escalator on the way to a Nationals game during the 2005 season.


#7. I laugh out loud every single time I read this blog.


#8. I sent this e-mail to several of my friends (and my sister) this afternoon:

So, last night at around 7:45, I was walking through my apartment building, having entered down by Noodles and Company, when I saw a very large man in a suit, carrying a small suitcase, entering an apartment right down the hall from me.

His suitcase had the word "Nationals" embroidered on it, and his bag had a tag with "#21" on it.

I looked at him again, and indeed, it was Dmitri Young. Who, moments later, was officially announced as a 2007 All-Star.

Conclusion: My apartment building is awesome.

My sister's response was excellent -- and predictable: "It would be better if it were Javy Lopez!"


Bonus: I hate tagging people, and I wasn't even sure I could come up with eight. Sure, I would like it if folks like Justin, Evil Spock, Scarlet, Beakerz, Honeykbee, Joe, Poofygoo, and Mad played along, but they don't really have to do it. After all, it's just a game.

Concert meme

HoneyKBee posted this meme, and I thought I would play along.

Here's how it works: Copy this list, leave in the bands you've seen perform live, delete the ones you haven't, and add new ones that you have seen until you reach 25. An asterisk means the previous person had it on their list. Two asterisks means the last two people who did this before you had that band on their list.

1. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers*
2. Dave Matthews Band*
3. Bob Dylan*
4. Counting Crows*
5. Bon Jovi
6. Goo Goo Dolls
7. U2
8. The Police
9. Fleetwood Mac
10. Matchbox Twenty
11. Willie Nelson
12. Queensryche
13. They Might Be Giants
14. Sister Hazel
15. Eric Clapton
16. Everclear
17. Beastie Boys
18. Nirvana
19. The Breeders
20. Cheap Trick
21. Dixie Chicks
22. Gin Blossoms
23. Sugar Ray
24. Velvet Revolver
25. Smashing Pumpkins


I'm not tagging anyone. But it's a fun exercise, so you should totally do it.

Three Things

THREE NAMES I GO BY
1. Dara
2. D
3. Pookie (but only by my sister)

THREE JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE
1. Lawyer
2. Target employee
3. Intern

THREE PLACES I HAVE LIVED
1. Arlington, VA
2. Coral Springs, FL
3. Marlboro, NJ

THREE TV SHOWS THAT I WATCH
1. Lost
2. 30 Rock
3. How I Met Your Mother

THREE PLACES I HAVE BEEN
1. Jerusalem
2. London
3. Marrakesh

THREE PLACES I WANT TO GO
1. Canada
2. Australia
3. Japan

THREE OF MY FAVORITE FOODS
1. Gnocchi
2. Cupcakes
3. Steak

THREE THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO
1. The birth of my nephew
2. Taking a vacation
3. Going to sleep

THREE PETS THAT YOU HAVE OWNED
1. Remy, the family dog
2. Assorted goldfish
3. Various betta fishes

THREE FAVORITE BANDS/ ARTISTS
1. U2
2. The Beatles
3. The Police

THREE FAVORITE TEAMS TO WATCH
1. New York Giants
2. Washington Capitals
3. Washington Nationals

THREE FAVORITE DRINKS
1. Diet Coke
2. Green Tea
3. Vodka and soda

Happy Christmas

The low point of my Christmas weekend was working 10 hours on Saturday. But the highlights were many:

• Getting to wear hair band t-shirts to my office
• Reading up on the weird origins and weird traditions of Christmas, courtesy of Cracked
• Good hair
• Catching people making out in the front of the Volkswagen parked behind mine
• Sweeney Todd
• Ratatouille
• Juno
• The episode of Entourage with U2
• Watching part of a marathon of The Hills
• Double-Chocolate muffins
• Good vodka
• Having someone understand that I say I'm grumpy when I'm really just hungry
• Winning the PH4H fantasy football league
• A fast and furious text message exchange to wish my sister a happy birthday
• Getting to tell a boy drinking light beer that "Real men drink vodka."
• In response, being told that I "look like trouble"
• Responding that such an assessment usually takes years -- and years of therapy
• Talking about crappy American beer with a Scottish guy
• Dancing
• 80's music
• Being inadvertently wished a Happy Christmas, and being aware enough to say, "That's awfully British of you."
• Telling my friends, "I may be drunk, but I'm not that drunk."

All in all, the positives outweighted the negatives - which I guess is the point.

30 Days of Truth: Day 24

Today I'm supposed to make a playlist for someone, and explain why I chose all the songs.

I used to make mix tapes all the time -- later, they evolved into mix CDS. And I still occasionally do it -- just not for other people: I make them for me.

Occasionally, my mixes have a theme. Sometimes they just have a mood. Most often, they are just an attempt to capture a moment in time, musically. Sometimes, then, the moment in time or the mood or the theme intersects with a particular relationship, and later, when listening to the CD, I realize that it's all about that relationship -- good, bad, or indifferent.

This, my dears, is why I liked High Fidelity so much.

Some years ago, I had a boyfriend who made me mix CDs: they were always attempts at a theme, and were, by and large, intended to be funny. I tried to make him a mix once. It had no focus, no unifying theme, no real thought. It was merely a collection of songs that I thought he would like. I wish I could take it back, for many reasons.

Last year, I was dating someone who asked me to make him a CD with a collection of things that he might like or that would expand his musical knowledge. I started working on it, but then I decided it (he?) really wasn't worth the effort. After all, a mix CD is a gesture of love.

So, reconciling all that with the mission at hand, I'm going to post a playlist for all my writer and blogger friends, about the things we love: writing and reading and books and authors. Because you're awesome.

1. Moxy Fruvous: My Baby Loves A Bunch of Authors (Speaks for itself.)
2. 10,000 Maniacs: Hey Jack Kerouac (Author, best known for On the Road.)
3. Ryan Adams: Sylvia Plath (Poet and author of The Bell Jar. Sadly, best known for committing suicide by putting her head in the oven.)
4. Vampire Weekend: Oxford Comma (A song about punctuation, at least in title.)
5. Elvis Costello: Every Day I Write The Book (Speaks for itself.)
6. Bruce Springsteen: Dancing in the Dark ("I'm sick of sitting 'round here trying to write this book.")
7. The Beatles: Paperback Writer (Speaks for itself.)
8. U2: Stranger in a Strange Land (Title of a novel by Robert A. Heinlein.)
9. Jefferson Airplane: White Rabbit (Based on Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.)
10. Guns 'N Roses: November Rain (Allegedly based on the short story Without You by Del James.)
11. Metallica: One (Based on Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo.)
12. Led Zeppelin: Ramble On (Filled with references to J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy.)
13. The Police: Tea in the Sahara (References to The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles.)
14. The Cure: Killing an Arab (Based on The Stranger by Albert Camus.)

Yesterday: Day 23 → Something you wish you had done in your life.
Tomorrow: Day 25 → The reason you believe you’re still alive today.

Seventh night of Hanukkah

Today's gift was U2 videos.



In all honesty, this is something I had bought -- and promptly forgot about -- some time ago. I'm hoping to get to watch it soon.

As for the leftover cookies, well, I brought them in to work, and next thing I knew, they were all gone. I'm kind of surprised by how fast four or five dozen cookies could disappear.

And finally, this Twitter is for my dad.



It's thoughts like this that make him proud.

Six weird things about me

This morning, Ryane tagged me to disclose six ways in which I am weird.

This is a hard challenge -- not because I'm not weird, but mostly because it's hard to narrow it down to six peccadilloes. And also because I don't want to repeat anything I disclosed earlier.

1. Even though I am cold all the time, I absolutely hate to put on the heat. I would rather pile on layers of clothing and walk around wrapped in a blanket. So, most days, that's what I do.




2. I am so bad at math that, more often than not, I count on my fingers.
   
   Yes, I am a tax attorney.




3. I love Christmas -- and not just the lights, the trees, and the presents. Remember though: I am, for all intents and purposes, Jewish. Yet, for some reason, I love Christmas so much so that, in high school, I used to tag along with friends to midnight mass.
   
   I still bake Christmas cookies (generally gingersnaps and snickerdoodles, occasionally shaped and decorated sugar cookies), and I always send Christmas cards. One year, I even made a mix CD to send out to all of my friends in lieu of a card. (My friends still, on occasion, remind me how awesome it was.)
   
   I really want a Christmas tree. For years, I've been trying to justify it to myself with the whole line about it really being a pagan symbol to celebrate the winter solstice, but for some reason, I can't pull the trigger. This year, I almost bought the Charlie Brown tree.




4. I have this compulsive need to keep busy all the time. As a result, I can't just sit in front of the TV -- my hands need to be doing something.
   
   I think it's sort-of like how a shark will die if it stops swimming.
   
   So, I pick up little hobbies to keep me occupied -- like knitting, or blogging, or -- several years ago -- scrapbooking. And then, out of the blue, I'll drop it -- with no warning. So, be warned. I might eventually get bored of blogging and stop.




5. As noted in previous posts, I tend to be obsessive about things. Not just because I catalogued my shoes, or because I arrange my clothes in the closet in color order, but how my movies and -- most importantly -- my CD's are in alphabetical order.
   
   At one point, I organized them by genre, but at some point, the collection got too large -- and some artists are hard to pigeonhole. Take a look at what they look like now:
   
   
   
   I also know that exactly five discs are not in the picture -- because they are in the CD player. They are Pet Sounds (Beach Boys), Taking the Long Way (Dixie Chicks), The Ultimate Collection (The Jackson 5), and Anthology (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) -- both discs.

   And for the record, on the bottom left are my collection of concert recordings (mostly U2, courtesy of Furthur) and on the bottom right are box sets and mix CDs. More on those at a later date.

   
   
   But the weirdest thing:

   
   

6. I don't organize my books. At all. I just put them on the shelf.

So, I should tag other people to do this now, right?

Mad's already done it, though -- in haiku form. And I'd tag Inbal, but she never blogs anymore anyway. So, I guess I designate Justin, Scarlet, Needtsza, and Evil Spock. Oh, and anyone else who wants to do it.

When did wanting to pay less tax become a criminal offense?

Some people are all up in arms, accusing U2 of cheating on their taxes becuase they moved their publishing company's headquarters out of Ireland and to the Netherlands to take advantage of lower tax rates.

These people are out of their friggin' minds.

Folks, this is not cheating on taxes. Not even close. It's a fundamentally sound, albeit tax-motivated, business decision. Or, as the Edge called it, "tax-efficient."

Companies do this every single day. Heck, it's why I continue to live in Virginia instead of Maryland or D.C.

Today in law

Today, in my former home state, it was determined that Wiccans lack standing to sue to protest a sales tax exemption on religious items. Plus, they don't get to claim the exemption on things that they sell because they don't own a place of worship. Seems to me that this legislation discriminates against renters, not Wiccans.

Be careful, kids: Naomi Campbell's at it again! This time, though, she didn't attack her maid -- it was her drug counselor. Too bad no one paid attention when I warned everyone to stay away from her months ago.

And, since Above the Law gave us a shout-out yesterday, I thought I'd return the favor. Check out their story on the lawsuit filed against Green Day claiming that somebody else wrote American Idiot. (And no, this didn't just catch my eye because of the U2 reference in the title.)

100 Things

A lot of people post these lists of 100 things about them. (Mad's actually trying for a million, which is pretty darn ambitious if you ask me!)

Anyway, here's my list. You might have figured some of these out already; others are new. some of them are even new to me.

1. I wore black for my entire 10th grade year. I still wear a lot of black. But mostly because it matches everything.
2. My sister and I were both born on major holidays. My brother was not, and I feel kind of bad about that.
3. Almost everyone in my extended family is a Mets fan, but, for some weird reason, both of my parents are Yankees fans and my sister is a Braves fan. I consider myself a Nationals fan.
4. I am cold almost all the time.
5. When my friend Alli and I were in high school, we used to get drunk and play Going to California. She played piano, I sang (badly).
6. Around that time, Alli was “friends” with Marilyn Manson. We used to go to bars to watch them play.
7. I only learned calculus to impress a boy.
8. While watching a college football game, I have gotten nervous enough to vomit. Sober.
9. I am horrible at keeping in touch with people when I don’t see them all the time.
10. My favorite U2 song is Bad.
11. I sing in the car. LOUD.
12. I used to think that I looked hot in mini skirts and knee-high boots.
13. I can’t function with a messy desk.
14. One of my biggest fears is that one day, I’ll actually be diagnosed with OCD and will have to take meds.
15. I was in a sorority. It helped me decide to graduate college early.
16. I am jealous of my sister’s hair.
17. Every time I get a haircut, I swear that I’ll wear it neat and styled, but inevitably, it always winds up in a ponytail, clip, or bun.
18. I once dyed my hair jet black, sort-of on purpose. I then called my friend and told her that it “looked like Trent Fucking Reznor.”
19. I think I’d have a lot of grey hair if I didn’t color it, but I’m not entirely sure.
20. When I told my father that people at work said I was mean, he said “You’re not mean -- you have an edge. Your sister is mean.”
21. When I was in law school, my mother once paid me $50 to clean my brother’s apartment. It was the most disgusting thing I ever did.
22. If I were rich and didn’t have to worry about supporting myself, I would have gotten a Ph. D. in Art History or Literature instead of going to law school.
23. My college degree was in communications.
24. Some woman on the metro once told me that I had the prettiest hands that she’d ever seen.
25. I think my hands are freakishly small.
26. I usually have very long fingernails.
27. I’m not really sure whether my eyes are blue or green.
28. I think I look smarter when I’m wearing my glasses.
29. I think I look better when I’m wearing dark eyeliner.
30. I have horrible taste in boyfriends.
31. Women often annoy me.
32. More than once, I have had secret (and not-so-secret) crushes on boys that I referred to as “my best friend.”
33. I occasionally say that people are “my best friend” when they’re really not.
34. I get along better with guys than girls. Most of my good friends are male.
35. My real best friends are female.
36. I once dated my sister’s roommate.
37. The second worst thing that I have ever done was make out with a male friend on his couch in his living room while his girlfriend was taking care of a sick (read: drunk) friend across the street.
38. The worst thing that I have ever done is so horrible that I can’t bring myself to write it.
39. I am allergic to cats.
40. I was scared of dogs until my family got one. I was in college at the time. Now I want a puppy.
41. When I was in law school, my roommate and I adopted a dog from the pound and named her after the Hale-Bopp comet. She was completely nuts. Sometimes I think it was because of the name.
42. I have a sort-of photographic memory: I remember where things are on the page. It’s a really useful skill for open-book tests.
43. I collect things. Right now, it’s CDs, DVDs, clothing, shoes, handbags, and wine.
44. I have an extraordinarily large number of PEZ dispensers.
45. I have, on occasion, thought about getting rid of everything I own and starting from scratch. However, my ties to my material possessions are such that I will never be able to do it.
46. If I had to leave my apartment and could only save one memento, it would be a letter that my dad sent to me when I was 12.
47. I have, on occasion, had enough alcohol that I blacked out.
48. One time, when I was in college, I drank enough that I had to be carried out of the dorm during a fire drill.
49. Another time, after the UF-FSU game right before my 23rd birthday, I passed out in front of the Gumby’s pizza on Tennessee Street.
50. I was proposed to while watching the UF-FSU game on my 18th birthday.
51. I am usually glad that I have not gotten married.
52. I love cheese.
53. Until this summer, I never had a cheeseburger. Not for any religious or dietary reason. I just didn’t think it was worth it.
54. I have a $150 bottle of champagne in my refrigerator. For no good reason.
55. My sister and I almost never fought growing up. The only actual physical confrontation that I remember was over a Def Leppard tape. But we both fought with our brother all the time.
56. I used to think that my family was hopelessly crazy; now I think that they’re embarrassingly normal.
57. I generally like controversial people.
58. I am chronically unable to stick to a budget.
59. I can read at least two foreign languages well enough to get by. I get too nervous to really speak in any of them.
60. I am seriously convinced that people do not understand me at all.
61. My parents flipped out when I got my ears double-pierced.
62. I used to have a navel piercing. My sister’s piercings are worse than that.
63. I drew the art that is now one of my sister’s tattoos. I was going to get it too, but I chickened out. I regret that decision.
64. For the past several years -- including this one -- I'm the only one in my immediate family that went to services for the high holy days.
65. Tonight, for the first time, I asked both of my parents if they believed in God. They surprised me when they both said yes.
66. I am not sure if I really believe in God. My mother was surprised when I told her that.
67. I do, however, believe in a sort of karmic balance – that good things happen to people who do good things, and vice-versa. My mother disagrees.
68. I think it would be hypocritical of me to keep kosher.
69. I’m not sure if I believe in hell, but if there is one, I am absolutely convinced that I am going.
70. I occasionally have predictive dreams.
71. When I told my mom about the dreams, she said that she has the same thing. She thinks it means that we’re witches. I think that is a little silly. I did, however, buy a book on witchcraft. I haven’t done anything with it, though.
72. I once thought I saw a ghost. I’m still not entirely convinced otherwise.
73. I hate dressing up for work.
74. I wish I was more artistic and creative.
75. I am late to work almost every day.
76. I say that I wish I spent more time at the gym.
77. I really wish I had more time to sleep and watch tv.
78. I watch way too much tv as it is. I should read more books instead.
79. Generally, the angrier I get, the quieter I get.
80. I have only yelled at an unrelated person one time in my entire life. I regret it, but only because it ultimately proved pointless.
81. My mother loves to play cards. I often worry that she has a problem.
82. I occasionally think that my brother might be the smartest person I know.
83. I often make fun of people reading chick lit, but I occasionally read it too.
84. Something happened that caused me to laugh in the movie theater when Macaulay Culkin’s character died in My Girl. People turned around and glared. It only made me laugh harder.
85. The first thing I ever bought on e-Bay was a set of limited edition X-Files Barbies. It was also the first thing I bought with my first lawyer paycheck.
86. I hate it when guys wear those t-shirts with fish on them. (You know the ones.)
87. I’ve never had the chicken pox.
88. I am not sure whether I am really smart or just stupid enough to think that I’m smart. I’m becoming more and more convinced that it’s the latter.
89. I had a high school teacher try to get me taken out of the gifted program.
90. I swear a lot – and always have. When I first started practicing law, I was convinced that at some point, I would get in trouble for swearing in open court.
91. I’m trying to swear less, so I use the word “poop” a lot.
92. I have never watched a porno flick. I have, however, seen Ron Jeremy in person. (And I did go to a goth bar in New Orleans that was showing a goth porn on on the tvs at the bar.)
93. I am much more maternal than people think.
94. I have a pink haired troll doll on my computer desk.
95. I had pink bedroom furniture as a teenager.
96. The most expensive thing that I ever bought was a piece of jewelry.
97. I am very easily distractible.
98. I think that, as a litmus test for dating, a guy should, at a minimum, be able to change the oil in my car and replace my wiper blades.
99. My car is blue. I wish I had gotten it in silver instead, with the leather interior. Other than that, it’s perfect.
100. Coming up with 100 things was way more difficult than I anticipated.