Favorite Reads of '05: Part I

Originally, I was going to post on all of my favorite reads of the past year, but it was getting too long, and I wanted to put up a post this week. So here's the eagerly anticipated first installment of my Favorite Reads of '05.

I read in my free time every day, but I've never been a big book reader. Don't get me wrong, I love books and have read quite a few in my day, but I seem to have a hard time starting something that I know will take up a substantial amount of time. Books will generally take at least a couple of days to read, and if they're any good, you'll spend the time that you're not reading them, wishing that you were. Therefore, I generally gravitate towards movies, comics and graphic novels, because I know that at most, I'll be done in an afternoon. Recently, for one reason or another, that's changed. I think that mostly it's due to losing TiVo and now just having basic cable, coupled with not being into video games as much I used to be either. Now, with less of a "need" to sit in front of the TV, I find myself reading a lot more. And before you start thinking 'I've grown up and matured or something, I still read lots of comics and watch cartoons and kung-fu movies. So, there you have it.

Anyhow, in celebration of actually getting more "real" book reading done, I've decided to post on my favorite reads of 2005. But, since I read a lot more than just books, I didn't think that it would work to break it down into a Top 5 List, like my two previous posts. So, bear with me in the change in format.

2005 Favorite Reads

Favorite Web Comics

3. Perry Bible Fellowship
I found this strip through Rich Johnston's Lying In The Gutters on-line comics gossip column. It's soooo f*ed up. Think Gary Larson's The Far Side, on acid, with better art, and you're almost there. What strikes me the most is not even how "out there" it is, but rather how un-p.c. it is and despite that it runs in The Guardian in the U.K. This would be unthinkable in such a widely circulated newspaper here. The closest thing I can think of, would be if say, The New York Times ran articles from the Onion or Vice Magazine every week. Anyhow, if you have a really twisted sense of humor, which apparently I do, I highly recommend checking it out.

2. Achewood
Ben actually got me into this one a while back, but it continues to be a strip that I religiously check every day. I started at the beginning, read through the entire archive, and I continue to be impressed. This one's a little hard to pin down, but I'll try anyway. Achewood centers around talking stuffed animals and talking housepets and what they do when we humans aren't watching. It gets pretty raunchy at times, as they drink, swear, and "have relations" and whatnot, but that's what makes it great. It's really about what we would do if we were all talking stuffed animals. What impresses me the most, is the actual development of stories and character that creator Chris Onstad has created in his world. Plus, when he's on he knows the right buttons to push to create genuine feelings of endearment and concern for the cast of characters. And they're freakin' funny animals! Go figure. Oh, and it's more often than not, funny as hell.

1. Quickstep
Yeah, yeah. It's probably in poor taste to pimp your best friend's online webcomic. But this is my blog dammit and I'll do whatever I want. And in all honesty, I thought it was great. I thought it was great to see Max stretch himself artistically and to try something different. It was a fun, all-ages tale of a dancing mouse. The art was top-notch and story was sweet and simple. Some stories, and web-comics in particular, seem to really lack direction. It was nice to read a story that actually had an arc to it and was strong from start to finish. The only drawback to that of course, is that at the end of the story I was sad to see Lorenzo go. On the plus side, though, maybe now that Lorenzo's story has run it's course, that Max can go on to bigger and even better things. And as good as Quickstep was, that will definitely be something to see.

Favorite Non-Fiction
*Editor's Note: In the interest of full-disclosure, I should point out that I didn't actually "read" any of the non-fiction entries. I listened to them as books on tape. I did this for two reasons. The first, is simple multi-tasking. If I'm reading a book, I can't be working on something else, and as I stated before, I can sometimes have a bit of an aversion to simply sitting down and reading. Second, I like to hear the author's actual voice in certain cases, especially as in the case of Sarah Vowell, when I became aware of their work through hearing it rather than reading it.

3. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
Sarah Vowell's travelogue of her vacation visiting sites dedicated to assassinated presidents and their assassins. Hilarious, educational, and intriguing. It's because of this book that I have a renewed interest in presidential history and plan to read more about Theodore Roosevelt and U.S. Grant (even though neither were assassinated.) By the way, Sarah Vowell is awesome, and I thoroughly recommend all of her books, as well as the greatest radio program ever: This American Life, on which she is a regular contributor.

2. The Man Called Cash: The Life, Love, And Faith of an American Legend- the Authorized Biography [UNABRIDGED] by Steve Turner and Rex Linn
For some reason, Johnny Cash is probably more popular now than he was when he was alive. For example, a new greatest hits compilation called The Legend of Johnny Cash is tearing up the sales charts. Some might attribute this recent popularity with the recently released Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line, but I think there's more to it than that. Did Ray Charles see this kind of posthumous popularity after Ray? No. And I think it's because Johnny Cash is a much more interesting figure. Here was a man that was very spiritual and who tried to do right by God, but was constantly wrestling with personal demons and his own dark side. This book delves deep into Cash's struggles and ultimately his triumphs. You can tell a lot of research went into this book, with interviews and first-person accounts that are used to support and sometimes debunk Johnny Cash's own accounts. I knew a lot of Johnny Cash history before delving into this biography, and still found it immensely entertaining and informative. I highly recommend it especially for people who enjoyed Walk The Line, but want to know what Johnny Cash did with the rest of his life. In my opinion, that's when the Johnny Cash story got even more compelling.

1. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
One of the most fascinating non-fiction books I have ever come across. Larson simultaneously recounts the tales of two men during the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The first is Daniel H. Burnham, an architect who was largely responsible for putting the fair, and ultimately the city of Chicago itself, on the map. The second man is H. H. Holmes, a pharmacist who is credited with being the first serial killer in America. The dichotomy of Burnham raising Chicago to new heights and Holmes killing perhaps hundreds of women is astounding. Told in a novel-like format, it makes for a very compelling story.

Stay tuned for part 2 next week for the final installment of '05 Faves!

Top Five of '05 - Part II: Albums

Hey, everybody. Hope you all had a nice weekend. Mine was pretty low-key, spent mostly doing chores and reading. Went to Espana for some tapas on Saturday night and drank a lot of Sangria. The evening was spiced up by clown noses and drunken priests. No, I'm not joking and no, I won't go into anymore detail. Anyhow, a good time was had by all.

Now, on to what you all have been waiting for, part two of my ongoing Top Five of '05 series. Due to overwhelming response to my last post (thanks Zach), I'll continue this time with my favorite albums. So, without further adieu, here they are:

Top Five Albums of '05

5. Picaresque - The Decemberists - I love this band, and quite honestly it's hard for me to figure out why. Their music, in simplest terms, is theatrical. What's funny about this is I hate theatre music. I have never met a show tune I didn't hate. Try and lead a group in a round of, say "Oklahoma!", and you'll be met with a blank stare from yours truly. But there's something about this band's unique sound that does it for me. Their songs are alternately (and sometimes simultaneously) absurd, earnest, moving, and poppy. Their latest release, Picaresque, is a collection of power pop anthems, British-inspired folk ditties, and sea chanties. I know this sounds like a terrible mix, but somehow Colin Meloy's brilliant songwriting brings it all together in a fluid, cohesive whole. Standout tracks include: Eli, The Barrow Boy, 16 Military Wives, and The Mariner's Revenge Song.

4. You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having - Atmosphere - Atmosphere remains my favorite indie hip-hop act, if not my favorite indie act period. Slug, the group's MC, keeps bringing the raw emotion to his lyrics, while never compromising his ridiculous rapping skills and producer Ant keeps bringing unique and infectious beats. While Atmosphere have carved out their own niche in hip-hop with what some call "emo-hop," their latest release is a lot more upbeat... sonically at least. The album's title has it's tongue plant firmly in cheek and Slug is still rapping about the pitfalls of trying to find that special someone, but Ant really stepped up his game brought some truly slamming beats. The album opens thunderously with The Arrival, and seldom looks back until the decidedly down-tempo album closer. Along with the opening track, other highlights include Watch Out, Hockey Hair, and Smart Went Crazy. Great lyrics, great beats, and great production. What more do you want? Definitely my favorite hip-hop album this year.

3. I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning - Bright Eyes - I have never really liked Conor Oberst. When I first met him at the Dalley's house about 12 years ago I thought he was annoying. Of course he was probably 13 at the time, and I had never heard of Commander Venus and I don't think he had even come up with the name Bright Eyes. Fast forward a couple of years and Conor starts making a name for himself with Bright Eyes and I still can't get into his music. Fast forward a few more years and Denver Dalley joins Conor in a side project called the Desaparecidos and I have to admit I started to come around. Fast forward one last time to 2005 and Conor creates one my favorite albums of the year. The album is a folky, almost alt-country masterpiece. The music is stripped-down and jangly and, well, terrific. And for the first time, Oberst, has written songs that draw me in through the lyrics. Sure, he's still bitching and moaning a lot, but in ways I can identify and even empathize with. I even find several of the tracks fun, something I never thought I'd get from Bright Eyes. My favorite tracks are At The Bottom Of Everything, Old Soul Song (For The New World Order), and Another Travelin' Song.

2. Don't Believe The Truth - Oasis - Those of you that know me, know that I'm a huge Oasis fan. People like to make fun of Oasis and Oasis fans for some reason, and was getting pretty hard to fight back due to the decidedly small amount of good tunes the Brothers Gallagher had been producing for the last few years. Well, the Gallaghers and Company finally got their shit together and put out a truly stellar album. As expected its got it's power ballads and all the trademark bravado, but this time out they've added a bluesy, jangliness to a number of songs. They have somehow found a way to sound reinvigorated and fresh, while maintaining the aspects that made them great. In other words, none of the songs sound paint-by-numbers Oasis, but they don't sound like they're trying to hard to do something different, either. In fact, it sounds like they're having fun, and fun for them just happens to be making damn good music. Truly a return to form for the kings of brit-pop. On an album like this, I love so many of the songs for different reasons, but my current favorites are Lyla, Love Like A Bomb, The Importance of Being Idle, and Let There Be Love.

1. Haughty Melodic - Mike Doughty - I'm really disappointed this seemed to fly under everybody's radar. Being a pretty big fan of Soul Coughing, I was pretty disappointed when they broke up in 2000. Then a few years ago, I had heard that lead vocalist Mike Doughty had launched a solo career. Intrigued, I sought out his independent solo releases Skittish and Rockity Roll. I liked them well enough, but neither of them really prepared my for 2005's Haughty Melodic. Doughty's 2005 release found him in full-on singer-songwriter mode. Gone are the heavy, hip-hop influenced beats and samples of Soul Coughing and in their wake are acoustic guitars, horns, and soaring melodies. Doughty has changed his vocal stylings as well, replacing his beat poet delivery with more straight forward singing. His street-smart, bohemian indignation is still present, but somehow he has become more earnest and sympathetic. Because of this apparent shift the songs, which are still on the more esoteric side, are much more accessible than those from the Soul Coughing catalogue. From start to finish, Haughty Melodic remains fun and catchy, while never "selling-out" to mainstream pop. It's a truly satisfying listen, that will please old-school Soul Coughing fans, and newcomers alike. My favorite tracks are Madeline and Nine, I Hear The Bells, and Grey Ghost.

So there, you have it. My favorite albums of 2005. This time, I feel a little bit better informed than I was with movies, since I still manage to listen to fair amount of music. Still, since I am not a music critic, I am sure there were quite a few great albums out there that I didn't hear this year. So, if anybody out there wants to share some of their favorite music from last year, I'd be happy to hear about it.

Stay tuned for my final, ill-informed list of favorites from 2005. Next up will be my favorite reads, and it promises to be the most ill-informed of all!

Top Five of '05 - Part I: Movies

Well, it's that time of year again. Its the time that every magazine under the sun has some sort of "Best of" list. The Best Movies. The Best Albums. The Best Video Games. The Best Anti-Depressants.

Okay, I made that last one up, but you get the picture. And granted, everyone else put out their lists about a month ago, but I got a little behind.

Anyhow, I love these lists. Some might say I'm kind of addicted to them. Not the film ones for some reason, I think because I kind of count the Oscars and the Golden Globes as my barometers. Not that they don't get it wrong ever, because they often do, but they are often good places to start. So, it's not the movie lists I love, but the music lists. Occasionally, I use these lists to get me off the fence on obtaining albums that I've been thinking about getting. Usually, however, I use them for vindication (i.e. "Right on, Spin Magazine! You're damn right Seven's Travels was one of the best albums of the year.") or consternation (i.e. "What?!?! Spin and Rolling Stone, you have not only left Don't Believe The Truth off of your lists, but you have incurred my wrath! In fact, I shall not buy your magazines again for 1 year... or until your next 'Best of' issue comes out, whichever comes first!")

Now that I have a blog, I have decided to create couple lists of my own. However, I will not be calling any of them "Best of." I know that am not nearly qualified to claim to know the "Best" of anything, since I have not heard or seen every one of the possible contenders. Besides, it's really just my opinion, and what I think of as the "Best," might not be anybody else's cup of tea. So, instead they will be lists of my own personal favorites of 2005. This time out, I thought I'd start with movies, because you never know, maybe I can still sway some Oscar voters!

Top Five Movies of '05

5. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - This is why I didn't want to say this was a list of the best movies I saw this year. I know in my heart of hearts that this was not one of the "best" movies of the year, but dammit I loved this movie. Does it have it's share of problems? Yes. I mean, how do you die because you "lost the will to live?" But there is so much good stuff in there that George Lucas almost redeemed himself. Almost. And I say this, without reservation, Ewan McGregor's performance as Obi-Wan in the final battle with Anakin, is one of the best, most heart-wrenching performances I have ever seen on screen. That scene alone, almost makes the whole new trilogy worth it. Almost.

4. Capote - I didn't even really want to see it, but it was the only movie I hadn't seen that was playing when I could go. What I had heard was that it was really only worth seeing for Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance. That couldn't have been farther from the truth. The movie was great. First of all, I don't even think that Philip Seymour Hoffman's Truman Capote was even the best performance in the film. That honor belongs to Clifton Collins, Jr. as Perry Smith. That guy was simply amazing, and as far as I know, he has received little if no accolades for his work. The rest of the cast was solid as well, especially Chris Cooper and Catherine Keener. That said, Capote is more than just a performance-driven movie. The direction was top notch, with a naturalistic look and feel that really drew me in. This film stuck with me long after I left the theater.

3. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - This one definitely isn't going to win any Oscars, but damn if it wasn't the most fun I had at the movies all year. Great performances by Robert Downey, Jr., Val Kilmer, and Michelle Monaghan. Full of snappy dialogue, plot twists and turns, and buckets of irreverence. Whether you're looking for a pulp-style detective story or a wicked little satire, this one works as both.

2. Brokeback Mountain - What can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said? I must admit that I couldn't really get excited about seeing it. I love Ang Lee, but I thought the trailers were pretty weak and come on, a gay cowboy love story? All of my reservations and pre-conceived notions were quickly washed away by the beauty of the film. Beautiful cinematography, naturalistic filmmaking, terrific acting, and one of the most convincing love stories I've ever seen (gay or not), make this one of the most memorable films I've seen in recent memory. Oh, and the music is great, too.

1. Good Night, and Good Luck - People throw around the term "important" a lot when talking about movies. Usually, when someone says "important," it means the film is going to be preachy and well, boring. I mean, who likes to pay $7 for a ticket so they can get preached to? So, I'm going to refrain from calling Good Night important, but I am going to say that I think that everyone should see it. One of the best examples I've seen of movie reminding it's audience that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. The movie will make you cheer for David Strathairn's Edward R. Murrow as he fights to make America safe for dissent once again while simultaneously infuriating you as you contemplate our current political atmosphere. The film is strongly political without ever being preachy and is full of vivid characters and great dialogue, made even more impressive by the fact that they're real. Gorgeous black and white cinematography and solid direction by George Clooney add to film's greatness. By far, the most satisfying movie I saw last year.

So, there you have it, my favorite films of last year. They're probably different from your choices, so if you feel like it, comment on your own picks, or simply why mine suck. Whatever trips your trigger.

Next up, my favorite albums from '05! Hopefully, you can all handle the suspense...

Spies Like Us

So, have you heard the one about the President's Domestic Spying Program? What's that? Oh, I'm sorry, I guess it's the Domestic Surveillance Program, now. What? They changed it again? What's it called now? Oh. That's good. Now it's called the Terrorist Surveillance Program. Right.

Anyway, have you guys heard about this? Apparently, in the months following the Sept. 11 attacks the President authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on US citizens and others inside the country for evidence of terrorist activity. This sounds like a pretty good idea actually. I mean, the country has just been attacked and you want to know when or if it's going to happen again, right? The problem is, though, the NSA has been doing it without warrants.

Now, I'm not going to get into all the details of the FISA Court, how to get warrants, how apparently easy it is to get warrants, or why or why not the President should bother with it. I'm not going to get into it because it would be tedious and boring to anyone reading this, but also because maybe there is a legitimate reason for not getting warrants. Maybe warrant-less wiretaps need to be done to prevent another 9/11. I don't know, because like Congressional Security Council, I was never briefed.

What I do know is that since this domestic surv...er, terrorist surveillance program has come to light, some pretty hilarious things have caught my attention, and I thought that I would share them with you:

The FISA Court has approved at least 18,740 applications for electronic surveillance or physical searches from five presidential administrations since 1979. It has rejected 6. (click here for 2004 chart.)

On April 20, 2004, about 2 1/2 years after starting the domestic spyi...er, terrorist surveillance program, the President said this:
Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so. It's important for our fellow citizens to understand, when you think Patriot Act, constitutional guarantees are in place when it comes to doing what is necessary to protect our homeland, because we value the Constitution. (to read this in context, visit the White House homepage here.)

In defending the spying program, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez said this:
President Washington, President Lincoln, President Wilson, President Roosevelt have all authorized electronic surveillance of the enemy on a far broader scale. (I'm not making this up. The Washington Post has the full transcript here.)

See, I told you they were hilarious, especially the last one. I had forgotten all about George Washington's electronic surveillance program that he iniated shortly after Superman was punched back in time and brought electronic listening devices from the future with him (I think I read about it in a comic book.) Honestly, though, my favorite part is that even if all four presidents could have indeed authorized electronic surveillance, it was still before Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was enacted in 1978. I mean, George Washington would've been spying on people 200 years before it was against the law!

Maybe Gonzalez realized he goofed regarding the whole "electronic" element with regards to the previous presidents, because he went on to say this: "General Washington, for example, instructed his army to intercept letters between British operatives, copy them, and then allow those communications to go on their way." Not that that really strengthens his case any since General Washington wasn't the president, there wasn't a Constitution, and for that matter, there wasn't even a United States of America.

Are these guys even trying anymore? Seriously, I mean is that the best they can do? Are they that incompetent or is it just that nobody is paying attention?

I'm beginning to think that it's all of us who are incompetent. I mean if nobody's calling them on this shit, it's probably because we're too dumb to notice. And if that's the case, we can probably expect more precedents involving time-traveling superheroes and electronic surveillance equipment from the future.

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry...

New Years Resolutions

...And I'm back. Sorry about that, must've been a bad connection or something...

Anyhoo, it's been a little bit crazy around here, as you may have gleaned from my last post. Speaking of which, my dad's out of the hospital and doing alright. Before releasing him the doctor tried to impress upon my dad just how lucky he was. Dr. Steir told my dad that over half of the people who get pulmonary enbolisms drop dead. No warnings, no nothing. They just keel over. He told my dad that he, in essence, was granted a second chance to start taking care of himself. And I know that I can't make resolutions for anybody else (God knows I'd like to make some for our President), but if I could, my resolution for my dad is for him to get healthy.

The main reason I want my dad to get healthy is, obviously, that I love the guy and want him to stick around for a while. Plus, he's got a wife and two stepdaughters that depend on him. Like I said, obvious. But honestly, I really want him to stick around for my kids. That's right my non-existent children. You see, I never got to know my grandfather. He died when I was an infant of, ironically enough, what might have been a pulmonary enbolism. And I missed out. And so did my brother. I know that my grandfather was a great guy. I know this because anybody who has ever said anything to me about him has said what a great guy he was. And anytime anybody tells a story about him they either end up laughing, getting choked up, or both, sometimes simultaneously. The guy has been dead for almost 29 years, and people still talk about him with admiration and love. That is what I believe makes a great person, not necessarily how you're thought of in the present tense, but how you're remembered. And unfortunately, I will never be able to remember my grandfather in any way, because I have no memories of him at all.

The last thing in the world I want for my kids is for them to go through that. I don't want to have to tell them what a great and loving man their grandfather was. I want them to find out for themselves.

While we're on the subject of resolutions, I've got one as well. My resolution for 2006 is to have at least 52 posts by January 1, 2007. For you math people out there, that's one for every week. I'd like to get more than that up, but since I'm already behind, I figured I'd set a reasonably low number and hopefully beat it by year's end.

So, onward and upward as they say. I hope you're all having good luck with your resolutions and I'll see ya next post.