Here's how it works: Copy this list, leave in the bands you've seen perform live, delete the ones you haven't, and add new ones that you have seen until you reach 25. An asterisk means the previous person had it on their list. Two asterisks means the last two people who did this before you had that band on their list.
On to my list...
1. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers** 2. Dave Matthews Band** 3. Bob Dylan** 4. Goo Goo Dolls* 5. U2* 6. Willie Nelson* 7. Queensryche* 8. They Might Be Giants* 9. Dixie Chicks* 10. Gin Blossoms* 11. Smashing Pumpkins* 12. Santana 13. Phish 14. Tori Amos 15. Dr. John 16. B.B. King 17. R.E.M. 18. Radiohead 19. Ray Charles 20. Johnny Cash (w/ June Carter) 21. Lenny Kravitz 22. Red Hot Chili Peppers 23. Simon and Garfunkel 24. Nine Inch Nails 25. Marilyn Manson
Sorry if that's a disturbing image, but that pretty much sums it up right now.
The Cardinals are 5 games out behind the Cubs, 4 1/2 behind the Brewers. A little over two weeks to go in the season.
The Cards have four games against the Cubs this weekend, and even if they sweep (unlikely, as they haven't won in a week) they'll be a game back. And unless the Reds sweep the Brewers, the Cards would be even further behind the Brewers.
Honestly, they had no business even being in the race in September, so this was pretty much inevitable.
Go.... Brewers? Well, if the Cubs do make the playoffs, there's always the chance of this again. I guess that's something for Cardinal Nation to root for.
I won't go into detail, but I enthusiastically support Mark Warner's recently announce Senate campaign. Sure, I've crossed the river into Maryland, but Maryland politics hasn't yet grabbed me the same way Virginia politics has, with Jim Webb last year, and now this.
Two Democratic senators in Virginia? Two years ago that would be crazy talk, but now, it's likely.
In a post appropriately titled "Garfield is bullshit, man," my friend Ryan posted this blatantly obvious observation that, for some reason, has never occured to me....
Here it is: Garfield has no reason to hate Mondays.
He's a fucking cat. He doesn't have a job. He doesn't even interact with the world. The most I can figure a Monday affects him is that Jon's gone after the weekend, which we know he doesn't care about. Hell, he should be happy, since the DHL office is open again after the weekend, allowing him to package up Nermal for another Abu Dhabi trip.
I'm smacking my head because of the obviousness of this observation. For more of Ryan's rant against Garfield and its creator, Jim Davis, click here.
Movies I Want To See This Fall (non-Apatow edition)
I've been putting off writing this list because, frankly, there are alot of movies that I want to see this fall, and the list seemed like a tall order. I thought it would be a top ten, but there are few more movies than that here.
So is there one movie that I want to see more than the others? Last year around this time I was basically steadily jumping up-and-down in Borat anticipation, and this year, yes, there is a movie that I have even more excitement for. This one, however, is a more serious oscar-contender type of movie.
It's kind of crazy to think, but the Coen Brothers have basically been on cruise control since The Big Lebowski. They haven't done anything great since then. So why my excitement for this movie?
Over the weekend, I caught a small little bit of Fargo on TV. I hadn't really forgotten how great that movie is... I've seen it many times, and if I had a list of most re-watchable movies, it would surely be top ten material. But still, every time I see even a few minutes of it, it blows me away. Just great acting, tense but offbeat, incredible cinematography... As fun as The Big Lebowski was, Fargo is still THE Coen Brothers movie for me.
No Country For Old Men looks like the most "Fargo" movie since Fargo. And the critics really seem to be digging it so far. Tommy Lee Jones is an actor I always love, and Javier Bardem looks like he just might be putting in the performance of the year.
Tim Burton + Johnny Depp = Automatic Inclulsion On My List
These are the guys who have collaborated for Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, and Sleepy Hollow... All movies I love. I even liked Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
I haven't seen any incarnation of Sweeney Todd, but it really seems right up my alley. If there's anyone I'd want to direct a "Musical Thriller," it's Tim Burton.
Lately Will Smith has been "the actor who can do no wrong" for me. Of course, this has largely been because he's gotten away from big, overblown blockbusters. Which might be what "I Am Legend" is. But still, something about the concept has me drawn in... This could be one of those movies like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, where a big budget and a great story meet to form a classic piece of art.
Or, it could be more like X-Men 3.
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There are several movies that I want to see based solely on the directors' previous works... Lust, Caution (Brokeback Mountain's Ang Lee).... Juno (Thank You For Smoking's Jason Reitman), Eastern Promises (A History of Violence's David Cronenberg), There Will Be Blood (Punch Drunk Love's Paul Thomas Anderson, and bonus points for casting Daniel Day Lewis)... oh, and Youth Without Youth directed by some lightweight named Francis Ford Coppola.
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The Kite Runner and Atonement.... This year's nominees for the "I know I should read this before I see the movie, but probably won't" award.
I'm a definite fan of Dreamworks animation, and, like everyone else, I've been waiting for Jerry Seinfeld to do something worthwhile ever since Seinfeld went off the air. I think he may finally be on to something.
