2008: Year Wrap-Up

As the candlelight dwindles from our menorahs, the soft glow of our christmas lights begin to fade, and the snow begins to slush and melt into a new year, let us reflect upon the things that brought us joy and anger.


1) The late '80's Cannes interview of John Lurie, subsumed in a post coke-binge morning haze, featured on the Criterion DVD of "Down By Law", with commentary.

I hate to start with something that is un-youtube-able, but it is so worth your time and effort that it deserves to be mentioned, despite not having an instantly gratifying clip available on the internet. In it, John Lurie delivers a bravura interview performance, ostensibly in the backyard of a yurt compound during the Cannes film festival in France. Cocaine is all but spilling out of his eye sockets and giving the off-camera interviewer a severe case of the uncomfortables. What makes the video particularly remarkable is the overlaid commentary, done by Lurie 20 years later, where he pontificates on his wild-eyed demeanor and self-aggrandizing statements. Utterly fascinating and hilarious.

2) My new favorite blog, everthingisterrible.com

If my internet were up to 2009 standard, it would understand how to embed videos, which as you can clearly see, is not my modus operandi. If it were, however, I would have embedded a hilarious video of magicians attempting to woo women through the powers of magic from everythingisterrible.com. The site, a blog of bargain-basement video tape segments shown sans context, however, manages to succeed in being up to speed with the latest online video technologies, so go check it out.

3) Finding money everywhere.

In my coat pockets! In my sock drawer! Underneath a frisbee! Where, o where, art thou, money? Everywhere, that's where. This truly was the year of finding cash when I expected it the least and needed it the most. Thank you, Money Jesus.

4) The movie In Bruges.

Woah, and this totally got nommed for a couple Golden Globes (although so did Mamma Mia, but I can't hate on ABBA!). It's really awesome and full of Collin Farrell acting hilariously fidgety and swearing a lot and has lot's of midget humor. Should easily win the Academy award for best Midget.

5) Getting platonic backrubs

Feels so good.

6) Snowgaddeon: Artic I-Death-arod and the return of Frostilicus.

Nothing was more fun than having an extended snow day for what seemed like an Alaskan winter. Nothing except for maybe the non-stop, boy-who-cried-wolf media hysteria and watching reporters freeze their asses off for the ratings bonanza. Top-shelf, Peabody germalism right there.

7) The economic collapse making me feel less like a factotum and more like a victim of society.

Over the last 2 years, I've gone through a lot of bunk jobs and career dead-ends. Before, I had nothing to blame but myself and a poor choice of college major. Now, with the economic avalanche befalling us, I have the perfect scapegoat other than my own lazy genetics.

8) Tea!

This was the year of falling in love with (noncaffienated) tea all over again (there's that phrase, yeesh). Be it the phonetic chutzpah of Pekoe or Oolong, the refreshing snap of mint, or whatever other flavors I can steal from my roommates, tea is the perfect beverage anytime of day (or night!). Just call me Mr. Tea.

FlyLo BBC essential mix

So apparently there's this shit at BBC called essential mixes by popular djs. They're pretty long, so you have to be prepared for the ride, but they're all pretty good. Only problem is ol' BBC's lawyers don't think they're archive-legit, so you kinda gotta scour the netz if you want to find 'em.

Flying Lotus did one that I think is particularly Ill. Where could you find it? Well. It's probably somewhere out there.

Pushing the shit

Sometimes I wonder who will carry the producer torch now that Timbaland has sorta lost the midas touch and slowed down on pushing every sound and beat 25 years into the future like quincy jones on acid (sorry, i just lost the capitalizing function on my keyboard, but, like they say, the post must go on!)

anyway, i think this shit iz titeeeeee. ron browz hasn't really entered my radar, but he is kinda taking that torch and running like a motherfucker with it.

check it.