home

sometimes i learn to wait another turn
often i get anxious and a tad too concerned
maybe it's the winter i think the post got lost
it's not as if there is a santa claus

where are you now it's been a while
every place you visit i count the miles
every year you stray a little farther from home
it's another holiday spent alone

sometimes i wish you weren't so free
often i wish you had taken me
maybe instead of a card or letter
this time it's you i wish all the better

there is a hill we used to climb
and a church where all the bells chime
the snow still falls when you are gone
but there is a chorus missing from the song

this year i stop waiting for the sign
miracles are for much needier kinds
if you ever stare out the airplane and see your home
i can guarantee you it's better than paris or rome

reunited makes me feel so good

Two of my favorite couples reunite to sing you off for the year:

pursuit of happiness

For Ben - this is my favorite Kid Cudi song - Pursuit of Happiness.



That Kid Cudi album is mad genius. Kid Cudi is also Chi Young's favorite artist.

By the way, the video is directed by Megaforce, who coincidentally is directing Madonna's new video for Gimme All Your Luvin.

when will the heaven begin

Ben Breedlove's videos before his death.





Sometimes you do wish you could just be like everybody else. And then sometimes you wish you could take what makes you different and do something great with it.

What struck me most was the part about being able to be proud of who you are and what you did with your life. If you can feel that way at the end of your life, it would be the most wonderful feeling. I think I need to start living my life that way. Just do things that would make me proud.

RIP, Ben. Heaven begins now.

one year

I'm Still Waiting: Fiona Apple (where is that cd that was coming in 2011?)
Biggest Let-Down: Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto and Radiohead's King Of Limbs (two of my favorite bands of all time put out cds that do absolutely nothing for me)
Let's Hear It For The Girls: Emily VanCamp & Madeleine Stowe (Revenge), Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Rachel Bilson (Hart Of Dixie), and SMG (Ringer)
Let's Hear It For The Boys: Chris Hemsworth (Thor), James McAvoy & Michael Fassbender (X-Men First Class), Chris Evans (Captain America)
Book Of The Year (which will take me a year to read): 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Our Zeitgeist: The Middle East protests which pretty much toppled a number of governments, the Occupy Wall Street Movement, the BART protests (against the BART police shootings)
Catchphrase: Tebow Time!
Meme of the Year: UC Davis Pepper-Spraying Cop
So Long, Farewell: Steve Jobs and The Oprah Winfrey Show
Farewell, Good Riddance: Osama bin Laden, Kim Jong Il and Muammar Gaddafi
Coolest Actor: Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love, Ides Of March, and Drive)
Hottest Actress: Charlize Theron (Young Adult)
Movies I Liked A Lot: X-Men First Class, Crazy Stupid Love, Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas, Thor, Super 8
Movies I Think I Will Like A Lot (except I haven't seen them yet): 50/50, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, Young Adult
Things I Don't Understand: All the Kardashians, Two And A Half Men (with or without Charlie Sheen), LMFAO
Sadness Is A Blessing: Adele's Someone Like You
Sadness Is A Blessing Part Two: James Blake covering Joni Mitchell's A Case Of You
Guiltiest Pleasure: Katy Perry's Fireworks (the lyrics really go, boom boom boom)
Best Serious News: U.S. withdraws all troops from Iraq
Worst Serious News: Japan Northeastern coast earthquake/tsunami
Worst Reality Competition Show Judge: Nicole Scherzinger, X-Factor (wow - there are a lot of bad ones to choose from, but she takes the cake)
My Good Habit: Drawing
My Bad Habit: Internet shopping
Broadway Show I Cannot Wait To See: Book Of Mormon
Favorite Gadget: iPad 2
Favorite Retailer: Amazon
Favorite Restaurants: Mom's Tofu House in South SF, Kappou Gomi on Geary, Outerlands on Judah
The It Country: South Korea
Wedding Of The Year: William and Kate
Divorce Of The Year: Demi & Ashton (sigh, if the girl from Striptease and the boy from Punk'd can't make it work, I ask you, who can???!!!)
Dreading 2012: A whole year's worth of political mud-slinging leading up to U.S. Presidential election in November, and the end of the world
Hooray for 2012: The Hobbit, Dark Knight Rises, Great Gatsby, London Olympics, new Madonna cd and tour and Superbowl performance

peace on middle earth

I got this for Christmas this year. I am totally geeking out. Peace on Middle Earth, y'all!

hobbit an unexpected trailer

Going back to Middle Earth is like going home again - brings back so many fond memories. And the dwarves singing gives me goosebumps. And is Richard Armitage as Thorin the new Viggo/Aragorn?

Yeah, screw 2011 - 2012 is where it's at.

dark knight rises

OMIGOD! There is so much to love in this trailer that I will temporarily set aside my dislike of Anne Hathaway. That football field thingy - holy crap!

amazing race vs. all the new girls

My favorite tv shows of 2011:

10. House Hunter International
9. The Chew
8. Cougar Town
7. So You Think You Can Dance
6. Ringer
5. New Girl
4. Hart of Dixie
3. Modern Family
2. Revenge
1. Amazing Race

This fall saw the debut of four rocking shows headlined by rocking girls. Emily Vancamp and Rachel Bilson and Zooey Deschanel and SMG - almost too much goodness for a boy to stand, and they are all in extremely enjoyable shows. Ringer and Revenge are as addictive as crack (or potato chips, whichever floats your boat). New Girl is hilarious. And Hart of Dixie will charm the shorts of you (if you watch that show - you will get the joke).

But after all these years, it's still Amazing Race that gets me all excited about sitting down in front of the tv. It is the one show that I will always watch real time (instead of Tivo time). Sure, it's been a long while since a team I was rooting for actually ended up winning (boo to Ernie & Cindy winning, or more accurately boo to Cindy winning - Ernie seems totally cool), but I am always in for a vicarious ride around the world.

adele vs james blake vs garrett hedlund

My 100 favorite songs of 2011:

100		On'n'on	Justice
99		Lotus Flower	Radiohead
98		Nightcall	Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx
97		El Camino	Amos Lee
96		Wait & See	Holy Ghost!
95		Gay Pirates	Cosmo Jarvis
94		Take Off Your Shirt	Bibio
93		Heartbeats (The Knife Cover)	Ellie Goulding
92		Take Care	Drake
91		Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (Owen Pallett Cover)	Sondre Lerche
90		The One That Got Away	Katy Perry
89		Montezuma	Fleet Foxes
88		Baby's Breath	Bill Callahan
87		Lantern	Josh Ritter
86		Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)	Katy Perry
85		Good Life	OneRepublic
84		Night Air	Jamie Woon
83		Breaker Breaker	Peter Bjorn And John
82		Don't Stop	The Dodos
81		Lonely Boy	The Black Keys
80		What Was It You Said About Luck	James Blake
79		Take Me Over	Cut Copy
78		Helena Beat	Foster The People
77		The Edge Of Glory	Lady Gaga
76		How They Want Me To Be	Best Coast
75		Fun	Natalie Imbruglia
74		Rum Hee	Shugo Tokumaru
73		Silver Wings	Garrett Hedlund
72		We Found Love	Rihanna
71		Enough Thunder	James Blake
70		I Would Do Anything For You	Foster The People
69		Private Caller	Sondre Lerche
68		Walking Far From Home	Iron & Wine
67		Everywhere I Go	Lissie
66		Rumour Has It	Adele
65		Right By Your Side	James Morrison
64		Towards The Sun	Alexi Murdoch
63		Turning Tables	Adele
62		Hide Me Babe	Garrett Hedlund
61		Second Chance	Peter Bjorn And John
60		How I Roll	Britney Spears
59		Think You Can Wait	The National
58		Right Thru Me	Nicki Minaj
57		Wood 9-27 B	ROSTAM
56		Ricochet	Sondre Lerche
55		L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.	Noah And The Whale
54		Have I the Right	Vampire Weekend
53		Lady Luck	Jamie Woon
52		Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution	Cut Copy
51		Tonight's the Kind of Night	Noah And The Whale
50		An Argument With Myself	Jens Lekman
49		Basket	Dan Mangan
48		How Deep Is Your Love?	The Rapture
47		Money	The Drums
46		Fight For This Love	Vampire Weekend
45		Charlie Brown	Coldplay
44		I Wanna Go	Britney Spears
43		Lord Knows Best	Dirty Beaches
42		You Know What I Mean	Cults
41		I Should Have Known	Foo Fighters
40		Super Bass [Explicit]	Nicki Minaj
39		Domino	Sondre Lerche
38		I Never Learnt To Share	James Blake
37		Holocene	Bon Iver
36		Tree By The River	Iron & Wine
35		I Don't Know What To Do With This Information	Jens Lekman
34		Helplessness Blues	Fleet Foxes
33		Sadness Is A Blessing	Lykke Li
32		Trust Issues (Remix)	The Weeknd
31		Back	Frank Ocean
30		One (U2 Cover)	Damien Rice
29		Us Against the World	Coldplay
28		Rylan	The National
27		Lucky Now	Ryan Adams
26		I'll Take Care Of You (Jamie XX)	Gil Scott-Heron
25		Calgary	Bon Iver
24		Pumped Up Kicks	Foster The People
23		Exile Vilify	The National
22		These Days	Foo Fighters
21		Criminal	Britney Spears
20		I Love You But I Don't Know What To Say	Ryan Adams
19		Youth Knows No Pain	Lykke Li
18		Wildfire featuring Little Dragon & Drake	SBTRKT
17		We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe)	fun.
16		I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free	Nina Simone
15		Firework	Katy Perry
14		Waiting For Kirsten	Jens Lekman
13		Thinking About You	Frank Ocean
12		Don't Let It Get To You	ROSTAM
11		Call Your Girlfriend	Robyn
10		Give In to Me	Garrett Hedlund & Leighton Meester
9		Need You Now	Cut Copy
8		Timing Is Everything	Garrett Hedlund
7		Chances Are	Garrett Hedlund
6		I Follow Rivers	Lykke Li
5		Dawes - Little Bit of Everything	Dawes
4		Wilhelms Scream	James Blake
3		Rolling In The Deep	Adele
2		A Case Of You	James Blake
1		Someone Like You	Adele

James Blake and Garrett Hedlund have the most entries, at five songs each. Adele and Sondre Lerche are runner-ups at four each, but Adele has the number 1 and number 3 songs, while Sondre Lerche's highest is ranked at 39.

It was actually quite easy to choose the top ten songs, but choosing number 1, between Adele's Someone Like You and James Blake's A Case Of You, was rather difficult, and I am likely to change my mind about this on any given day.

And yes, Robyn's Call Your Girlfriend was also on my 2010 list but she's been promoting this song this year, and the more I hear it, the more delightful it becomes. But that's not the oldest song of the bunch - Nina Simone's I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free is. I have never heard of this song til it came on in Pandora, and man, what an anthem!

I am going to stop messing with this list now. Everytime I look at it, I want to re-order something.