Best/Worst of 2005

Hey all. Here's my random thoughts on 2005... a year I am glad to have finished as it pretty much was a struggle. But, hey, things are already looking good for 2006--I am working days again, my school load is cut in half, and I have a graduation to look forward to! Anyway, have a safe and merry new year and enjoy the list:
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BEST ALBUM: 12 Songs, Neil Diamond.
Seriously, Rick Rubin is a genius. From Slayer to Johnny Cash, to Run DMC and the Beastie Boys, Rick Rubin has started and resurrected sooo many musical careers with his mastery behind the boards. Forcing Neil to lay off of his glitter and cheese, Diamond offers 12 raw recordings of brilliant songwriting. The stripped-down production--usually only Neil's voice backed by a couple acoustic guitars--confirms that behind the larger-than-life persona of Neil Diamond lives the soul of a SONGWRITER. All 12 songs are wonderful, but "Hell Yeah" is the best single of 2005. Get it now and enjoy.


Worth buying? Hell Yeah it is!

WORST THING ABOUT THE BEST ALBUM OF 2005: Thanks for the spyware, Sony! Look, I bought the CD and I want to put it on my WinAmp "jukebox" on my computer. After I finally installed the spyware-inducing software, the damn thing still wouldn't work without another program to transfer the WMA files to MPEG. I gave up and deleted everything... plus I had to download another program to remove the harmful spyware.

BEST MOVIE: REVENGE OF THE SITH

To be honest, this was the only movie I had the chance to see in the theatres in 2005. But it was definitely awesome.

BEST MOVIE MOMENT: The opening 20 minutes of Revenge of the Sith. WOW. Starfighters screaming by, rapid-fire editing, ultra excitement!! BAM!

WORST MOVIE MOMENT: REVENGE OF THE SITH: Darth Vader's "Nooooooo!" C'mon!

BIGGEST SPORTS DISAPPOINTMENT: Letsee... the Twins, the Wolves, and the Vikes were all picked by various national media outlets to make it to their respective championships. And Minnesota went 0-3. Grrrrr!

MOST DESPICABLE THING ABOUT NATURAL DISASTERS: I am not a big G.W. supporter, but the way the administration was crucified for not being omniscient enough to predict the weather was sad. The fact that Bush was blamed for not bailing out New Orleans in a timely manner (despite claims by Marine and Coast Guard members that it was the swiftest evacuation they've seen) while ample warning was given to the citizens is worse. To turn the hurricanes into a anti-Bush agenda was sad, sad, sad.

BEST DVD PURCHASE: LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE (Seasons 1-5... so far) My wife and I have been enjoying reliving memories of Ma, Pa, Laura, and Mary with these packaged seasons on DVD. Little House ROCKS! Michael Landon turned Charles Ingalls into a super-hero, able to punch, swim, and work his way out of any family crisis. Awesome... A bit preachy sometimes, but awesome.

BEST FOOD SWITCH: A bit sick of the fajita burrito, I switched to the hard tacos at Chipotle. Mmmmmmm... better, and not so sickenly stuffing.

BEST CELEBRITY SIGHTING: I sat next to Flip Saunders and his son at the U of MN Chipotle. I was wearing my Timberwolves winter cap, but this was only a week or so after he got the axe... I nodded and smiled to 'em, but I figured I'd let him eat without autograph seeking and such.

WORST THING ABOUT THE U OF MN: The anti-war protests were so embarrassing (see my articles below)

BEST THING ABOUT THE U OF MN: I finally took the time to figure out "The Gopher Way," a maze of tunnels that allows me to travel across the mega-campus without going outside. SOOOOO helpful during this frigid winter!

WORST LOCAL NEWS CHANNEL: They all suck, but FOX 9's new muckraking approach to "journalism" is sick! "We'll track down politicians... and tell you when they SCREW UP!" Seriously.

WORST LOCAL NEWS: It's not the fact that the Vikings had their sex cruise on Lake Minnetonka, it's the fact that it was inescapable for months. Yeah, it's illegal and newsworthy, but is it worth the local media's dumpster diving for evidence?

BEST BRIDGE CLOSING: For a few months, Stillwater closed its historic lift bridge for repairs--meaning I was able to drive Highway 36 without the usual flurry of Wisconsinites. Ahhhh... it was nice while it lasted.

WORST RADIO AD: I love her soooo. And she must Kno-oooow. The way that I show her... has got to go straight to the heart. STRAIIIIGHT to the Hear--rt! (Goodman Jewelers) WOOOOAAAHOAOAOAOAOHHh! I know it's an oldie, but it was back in 2005... During the Xmas season this ad played every 20 minutes. I timed it.

BEST WEBSITE: www.aequalsa.blogspot.com duh.

WORST THING ABOUT NEW YEARS BESIDES DRUNK DRIVING: People think they are sooo clever by saying, "See You Next Year!" during the final days of December. Hello, people! Cliches are not clever!

Alright, that's enough. See you next year!

12-18

Today marks the 4th year since my dad lost his battle with cancer. Each "anniversary" of his death (can we come up with a different word for this? "Anniversary" sounds so happy...), I like to reflect on the life I had with him and the life I've been leading without him. Taking this sort of personal inventory has helped me keep my focus through tougher times while making me think he'd be proud of me through the better ones.

When my dad was slipping away from us, I had a chance to talk to him alone--knowing it was probably the last time I'd be able to say something that he'd have the possibility to understand. Beyond telling him that I loved him, that I'd help look after Mom and the family, etc., I also told him that I would do two things: I'd go back to school someday to finish my degree, and I'd marry my long-time girlfriend. To be honest, I really doubted the school thing. How could I go back with my full-time job and my other financial responsibilities? I think that I was just telling him something that I wished would be true instead of something that I planned to make happen.

My dad made an audible grunt/sigh after I was done talking, so I think he heard me... I don't really know if he understood.

A couple years ago, I did half of what I said I'd do--I married my wonderful wife, Karla. Little did I know, though, that life with her would put me in such a better place that I gained the support and stability needed to pursue returning to the U of MN after dropping out 6 years prior. It hasn't been easy. I had to take a midnight shift to juggle my class and work schedules. I HARDLY see my wife anymore during the week and I am often too tired to do much with her on the weekends. It's definitely been a trial for both of us and I wouldn't have even attempted this without Karla's unflinching support. Barring any surprises, I will graduate this spring and I'll be able to tell my paw on Father's Day that I completed both of my goals.

Losing your dad at any time of your life is tough--but losing him during your late 20's adds some more stress. I am old enough to have new challenges and real-life responsibilities (like home ownership, being a husband, etc.) but young enough to still need his advice. Luckily, I have plenty of friends and family around me to help out... but sometimes you just need your dad. To be able to say on our yearly sum-up that things are relatively well and I am finally on my way to finishing off what I promised to him before he passed makes the struggle worth it.

Lastly, I am posting this not to toot my own horn, but to serve as a sort of memorial for my paw. I sometimes like to use this site as a means to sort out my feelings in journal form, and to use the publicly-accessible space to advertise how cool my dad was; plus I hope that some person could be helped out by this somehow. I read a book a few years back by drummer, Neil Peart, titled Ghost Rider which tells his story of coping with the loss of his daughter and his wife. Peart mentioned how he would write to his daughter in journal-form as if he were sending her letters updating her on what was going on. I bought a journal on my dad's birthday 2 years ago and tried the same thing. Although my entries have slipped off from time to time, I found it to be the one of best means of dealing with the loss--AND with remembering the life I had with him. It's a coping device that I recommend to anyone in a similar situation.

...On becoming a better movie critic...

My pal from the Proex days is the creator/head-writer of an up-and-coming movie website at: http://www.moviepatron.com .

As his readership has been increasing, he has asked me to contribute whatever I can, so I threw him a little treatise on how to get more outta moviegoing by becoming a better critic. Please check it out if you're interested by clicking on the link above and going to the "what's new" section. You'll find it there. He's working out a way to have my stuff linked, but that will work for now! Be sure to check out his site as he gives good, honest reviews from a movie fan's perspective, rather than the snooty perspective that I am often guilty of maintaining! I will have some reviews coming up in the near future, so check back often!

Thanks!
--Tones