Top Five Movies (There are many really awesome looking movies that I never got around to seeing, which is why movies like Up and Where the Wild Things Are aren't on this list)
1. The Hurt Locker- best movie about the nature of war and the people involved in it I've seen...well, ever. Band of Brothers is great, but 1) it's not a movie in the same sense of the word, and 2) It gets wrapped up in the sentimentality of the individuals being "brothers" and the righteousness of WWII.
2. Zombieland - My favorite phrase of the year: "It's time to nut up or shut up." I usually hate gory movies, but this was straight up awesome on about six different levels.
3. Up in the Air - Few American movies have enough respect for their audience to not have a neat little ending with clear answers to all of life's most pressing questions. This is one of the few that acknowledges how difficult change can be, both for the person getting fired and the person that gets to keep their job. Sidenote: The film was shot in StL. Big ups!
4. The Hangover - Best Holocaust joke I've heard in quite some time. Nough said.
5. Inglourious Basterds - Every Jew's greatest fantasy revealed in a way that only Tarantino can produce.
Lessons Learned: There are way too many awesome movies that are not on this list because I never got around to going to a movie theater. No. 5 really shouldn't be on this list. I need a Netflix subscription STAT!
Top Five Songs - this list includes songs that may or may not be old, but that I heard for the first time this year.
1. Glee Version-Hate on Me - Jill Scott's original version of this song is good, but Amber from the show is absolutely fantastic.
2. The Sounds - Don't Want to Hurt You - Gotta love those cavemen.
3. Bon Iver - Creature Fear/Skinny Love - Bon Iver is one of those groups that I saw on way too many of my friends' Facebook pages before stumbling across them because of this scene from Chuck. Now I'm hooked and having a hard time not buying their albums.
4. Matt and Kim - Daylight - Damn, that is a catchy song. The video isn't half bad either.
5. Iggy Pop - The Passenger - This song got some extra air play because of Up in the Air, but it was a fricking sweet song to start with. It also describes what it feels like to be 26 pretty accurately.
Lesson Learned: TV Commercials/shows are a great place to find fun random music to listen to.
Top Five TV Shows - below are my favorite scenes from the most recent season.
1. Glee - The scene I wanted to show involved Kurt and his father and is not the one where Kurt comes out. Great scene...that is not online.
2. Chuck- First this one, then this one. This is what diehard fans live for.
3. House - It's hard to find clips, so let's just say I enjoy witty banter.
4. ESPN -Now that's a dunk.
5. 24 - See No. 3.
Lessons Learned: I'm attracted to shows with male anti-heros as the lead. And sports.
Top Five Songs - this list includes songs that may or may not be old, but that I heard for the first time this year.
1. Glee Version-Hate on Me - Jill Scott's original version of this song is good, but Amber from the show is absolutely fantastic.
2. The Sounds - Don't Want to Hurt You - Gotta love those cavemen.
3. Bon Iver - Creature Fear/Skinny Love - Bon Iver is one of those groups that I saw on way too many of my friends' Facebook pages before stumbling across them because of this scene from Chuck. Now I'm hooked and having a hard time not buying their albums.
4. Matt and Kim - Daylight - Damn, that is a catchy song. The video isn't half bad either.
5. Iggy Pop - The Passenger - This song got some extra air play because of Up in the Air, but it was a fricking sweet song to start with. It also describes what it feels like to be 26 pretty accurately.
Lesson Learned: TV Commercials/shows are a great place to find fun random music to listen to.
Top Five TV Shows - below are my favorite scenes from the most recent season.
1. Glee - The scene I wanted to show involved Kurt and his father and is not the one where Kurt comes out. Great scene...that is not online.
2. Chuck- First this one, then this one. This is what diehard fans live for.
3. House - It's hard to find clips, so let's just say I enjoy witty banter.
4. ESPN -Now that's a dunk.
5. 24 - See No. 3.
Lessons Learned: I'm attracted to shows with male anti-heros as the lead. And sports.
Top Five Blog Posts I've Read
1. Rethinking polarizing rhetoric. I find myself fascinated by people who are able to reframe debates beyond what you hear in the news. This post by Tyler Cowen is a great example.
2. Institutions matter, even in dating. These are my favorite kinds of blog posts.
3. It's really hard to explain economic concepts to people who lack the basic tools for examining economic tools. This post by Bryan Caplan was fascinating if only because it was an economists deliberate attempt to give a simple and easy way to explain concepts that I struggle to explain in my head, nonetheless to my family.
4. I just saw this yesterday, but I think it's very interesting. Fun quote:
1. Rethinking polarizing rhetoric. I find myself fascinated by people who are able to reframe debates beyond what you hear in the news. This post by Tyler Cowen is a great example.
2. Institutions matter, even in dating. These are my favorite kinds of blog posts.
3. It's really hard to explain economic concepts to people who lack the basic tools for examining economic tools. This post by Bryan Caplan was fascinating if only because it was an economists deliberate attempt to give a simple and easy way to explain concepts that I struggle to explain in my head, nonetheless to my family.
4. I just saw this yesterday, but I think it's very interesting. Fun quote:
So that’s the general worry—a populist right animated by ressentiment isn’t going to do a good job of injecting conservative ideas into deliberation in a useful way. This is not, just to be clear, some kind of white-gloved complaint about “tone,” because really, fuck tone. The ascendancy of angry bluster isn’t the problem; it’s a symptom. The problem is what the anger obscures.5. Although I sometimes disagree with him, I think Kevin Carey shows a pretty deep understanding of markets in education in this post. School choice doesn't guarantee quality, it merely shows the preferences that people have developed over time based on their experiences with the status quo. That's a hard pill to swallow for people who think "choice" is the end-all of education reform.
Honorable Mention: This is one of the funniest videos I've seen in a while. And somehow, it manages to explain the basics of how Google Wave works. Sheer Joy. And here's the idiot's guide to choosing a religion.
Lessons Learned: This is the one list that it was hard to narrow down. A friend of mine was recently blown away by how many blogs I read. I can only say that I find it a far more satisfying way of collecting information and managing my perpetual low-grade ADD than anything else I've been able to think of.
Top Five Mistakes of the Year
1. Trying to fix the lives of friends/family. This is stupid for a variety of reasons. Put simply, you can't fix people, you can only be there for them when they want you to be.
2. Reading blogs too much.
3. Not working out more.
4. Not exploring DC more - bars, restaurants, museums; I want em all!
5. Reading books too little.
Lesson Learned: Shawshank said it best.
Top Five Memorable Experiences
1. Getting two job offers within a 48 hour period - Whodathunkit? I'm qualified for something.
2. Turning down a job offer - I wrote down the exact language I wanted to use before calling. My hands were sweating so bad that I could barely hold onto the phone.
3. Although it seems small, this fall I had the opportunity to lead a small group discussion for my former employer. I forgot how much fun teaching can be, especially when you're in a room full of smart, engaged people. I've lately been having second thoughts about staying in education for the long haul, but that experience not only reinvigorated my interest, but helped me to focus more clearly on what are possible next steps.
4. Per my earlier comments, I'm in a fantasy football league this year. A few weeks back, I was down 42 points to a friend of mine. We each had one player left. I had Drew Brees and he had Jeremy Shockey. New Orleans, who both play for, was playing New England on Monday Night Football. I had decided not to watch the game because I had other things to do and didn't want to be reminded of my impending loss. After a couple of hours, I received an email from my friend exclaiming that he couldn't believe what was happening in the game. I went online and saw that Brees had score 44 points and Shockey had (somehow) scored only one point. I won the match by exactly one point. I was screaming obscenities (in a joyful manner) at my tv for about 5 minutes. I still feel bad for Jstor.
5. Going back to Hawaii for vacation. Which reminds me, congrats to Jake and Courtney on baby Jack!
Lessons Learned: Good times.
And finally,
Top Five Awkward Moments
1. Turning down a job offer that I couldn't believe I was turning down.
2. Explaining to a friend of mine how my compulsiveness when it comes to Fantasy Football is crucial to our affording several habits, including, but not limited to, my penchant for greasy Chinese food.
3. Any of the 50 or so times a year a new liberal acquaintance finds out where I work and has to reconcile that the person whose company they've enjoyed for the past 20 minutes is now "one of them." It's awkward, but I'm glad it happens and wouldn't have it any other way. I've now got my schtick for public situations down pat. Private and more intimate events are a bit trickier, but also offer the opportunity for more interesting conversation. I think my goal is to eventually be like Tyler Cowen.
4. Any time I discuss my love life with family, which appears to be happening with greater frequency. Shit.
5. Being in a permanent state of reflection. This makes it nearly impossible to be in the moment, do impulsive things, and not over analyze situations that I'm in. It also means I can come off like an ass when I talk politics if I don't watch out. I'm doing a better job on that last part, I think.
Lessons Learned: I got nothing. Just keep going.
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