As an end to the first decade of the 2000s, I thought I would take a look at music, movies, and things I never want to hear about again from this past decade.
First: The Best Albums of this Decade (It was a good decade)
1. Kid A by Radiohead
2. Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes
3. Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie
4. The Moon & Antarctica by Modest Mouse
5. Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective
6. Castaways and Cutouts by The Decemberists
7. The Lemon of Pink by The Books
8. Ágaetis Byrjun by Sigur Rós
9. The Dusty Foot Philosopher by k’naan
10. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco
and honorable mentions:
· Silent Shout by The Knife
· White Blood Cells by The White Stripes
· Discovery by Daft Punk
· Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins
· In Rainbows by Radiohead
· Drum’s Not Dead by Liars
· Give Up by The Postal Service
· Joyful Rebellion by k-os
· Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends by Coldplay
· Visiter by The Dodos
· Writer’s Block by Peter Bjorn and John
· By The Way by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Now, the best movies of the decade
1. Amélie
2. The Royal Tenenbaums
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
4. Garden State
5. Pan’s Labyrinth
6. Donnie Darko
7. 28 Days Later
8. Half Nelson
9. Coffee & Cigarettes
10. Lord of the Rings Trilogy
and honorable mentions
· Inglourious Basterds
· Children of Men
· Slumdog Millionaire
· Big Fish
Finally, things from this decade I never want to hear about again (a very incomplete list)
· Jennifer Lopez
· Twitter
· Disney musicians- Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers, Hillary Duff, et. al
· Dick Cheney
· Bad musicians- Taylor Swift, especially the Black Eyed Peas
· American Idol and Ryan Seacrest and all the musicians they spawned
· Microsoft Zune
I hope this coming decade is as good to us in music and film as the previous. Radiohead's still kicking out the jams, so I imagine it will be.
peter.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Government Naming Program
I came up with a brilliant idea to make naming babies more interesting. Instead of letting people choose names for their babies (and ending up with the strange names we have today), the government should assign a theme or criterion for each newborn. The parents must then name the baby something to do with this theme. It would make the naming process much more upbeat and fun. I came up with some themes already: Lord of the Rings characters, Hamlet characters, STDs, presidents, bodily organs, etc. The possibilities are endless! For a daughter under the president theme, I would definitely go for Baracka :).
On a more serious note, there is a lot of uproar about Iran's nuclear program. A solution? The United Nations should administer the world's nuclear power. That way, instead of leaving dangerous governments like those in Iran build nuclear plants, the UN would administer these plants. They could power several smaller countries with a single large plant. It would solve a lot of energy problems and security issues. Amen.
On a more serious note, there is a lot of uproar about Iran's nuclear program. A solution? The United Nations should administer the world's nuclear power. That way, instead of leaving dangerous governments like those in Iran build nuclear plants, the UN would administer these plants. They could power several smaller countries with a single large plant. It would solve a lot of energy problems and security issues. Amen.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Goldbug (Elk Bend) Hot Springs
If you're looking for the best hot springs in Idaho, Goldbug's the place to go. Bailey and I spent last night at these phenomenal hot springs. They are located between Challis and Salmon near mile marker 282. The description claimed the hike was three miles long and grueling, but it seemed shorter and easier to me (possibly because Bailey and I kept good conversation the whole time). The majority of the hike was exposed and hot (90s) and the last half mile or so of the hike was pretty rough with steep rock steps. The hot springs are well worth the hike though (I would argue they're worth a twenty mile hike). There is a cold creek coming down from the mountain that mixes with a hot spring gushing forth. People have piled up rock dams and created picaresque soaking pools. The temperatures vary; we felt a very hot pool that we probably couldn't have soaked in for more than a few minutes, hot tub-like pools which we frequented, and cooler pools which had mixed with more of the cold water. The depth of the pools was perfect, just about to the shoulders when sitting down and everything was nice and clean. Bugs were not bad. A couple mosquitoes but not nearly as bad as the other trips I've been on this summer. There were no ticks. We did see two huge hobo spiders though: one on the path up and one in the rocks next to our fire while we played cribbage.
There are a few little camp sites above the springs and in all I think they could hold four tents. I want to do another trip up there sometime soon.
The most perfect moment came last night as Bailey and I were soaking and staring up at the stars. They were breathtaking with no light polution and a new moon. As we were gazing up, we saw the most spectacular shooting star, almost like in the movies. It shot up across the sky and was so bright that Bailey and I just gasped together.
Beautiful trip, I highly recommend.
I'll post pictures tomorrow, my camera's in my car and I don't want to get out of bed to go get it.
There are a few little camp sites above the springs and in all I think they could hold four tents. I want to do another trip up there sometime soon.
The most perfect moment came last night as Bailey and I were soaking and staring up at the stars. They were breathtaking with no light polution and a new moon. As we were gazing up, we saw the most spectacular shooting star, almost like in the movies. It shot up across the sky and was so bright that Bailey and I just gasped together.
Beautiful trip, I highly recommend.
I'll post pictures tomorrow, my camera's in my car and I don't want to get out of bed to go get it.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Backpacking Palisades
So I've decided already to give up on my previous goal of an artist a day; I decided it would distract from writing about stuff that may actually matter. Like what happened in the past few days.
Backpacking to Upper Palisades Lake and Waterfall Canyon
My girlfriend Bailey and I hiked into the upper lake (6.6 miles) and set camp. The path up wound along a creek (it was really high with snow melt) and past lower lake (much smaller than upper) After setting camp, we attempted fishing. I haven't fished since I used to with my father when I was little. Our amateur fishing attempts failed the first night and we went to bed disappointed. The second day, we swam in the lake for a bit. It was really cold. We got onto a large log on the shore and pushed it into the lake. I was hoping it would float to the middle of the lake with us on it, but it ended up against the shore again; it was still an exciting adventure though. That afternoon, we attempted a day hike into Waterfall Canyon. Despite having a topographical map, we missed the turnoff to Waterfall Canyon because we were distracted by a group of canvas tents apparently belonging to elk hunters. Realizing we were on the wrong trail, we free hiked to the top of a mountain and were able to see the canyon we should have been in. By that time, thunderclouds were moving in and we hoofed it back to camp.
That night, I fished again. I covered the hook completely with salmon eggs this time and caught a fish very quickly. I laid that one on a log and cast again, hooking another fish on my first cast, but it got away. Then Bailey caught one, too, after hooking one that got away. It was a very lucrative evening of fishing and we had two eight-inch fish for dinner. Cooking them proved difficult, but they turned out fine.
The hike out in the morning was difficult. Bailey and I were sore and the 6.6 miles seemed twice as long; it didn't help that it was raining pretty hard for the last mile and a half. All in all, Upper Palisades Lake is a gorgeous area. I wish we could have found Waterfall Canyon; we found the turnoff later, but by then we were worn out and too tired. Maybe I'll go back there another year and find Waterfall Canyon then.
Backpacking to Upper Palisades Lake and Waterfall Canyon
My girlfriend Bailey and I hiked into the upper lake (6.6 miles) and set camp. The path up wound along a creek (it was really high with snow melt) and past lower lake (much smaller than upper) After setting camp, we attempted fishing. I haven't fished since I used to with my father when I was little. Our amateur fishing attempts failed the first night and we went to bed disappointed. The second day, we swam in the lake for a bit. It was really cold. We got onto a large log on the shore and pushed it into the lake. I was hoping it would float to the middle of the lake with us on it, but it ended up against the shore again; it was still an exciting adventure though. That afternoon, we attempted a day hike into Waterfall Canyon. Despite having a topographical map, we missed the turnoff to Waterfall Canyon because we were distracted by a group of canvas tents apparently belonging to elk hunters. Realizing we were on the wrong trail, we free hiked to the top of a mountain and were able to see the canyon we should have been in. By that time, thunderclouds were moving in and we hoofed it back to camp.
That night, I fished again. I covered the hook completely with salmon eggs this time and caught a fish very quickly. I laid that one on a log and cast again, hooking another fish on my first cast, but it got away. Then Bailey caught one, too, after hooking one that got away. It was a very lucrative evening of fishing and we had two eight-inch fish for dinner. Cooking them proved difficult, but they turned out fine.
The hike out in the morning was difficult. Bailey and I were sore and the 6.6 miles seemed twice as long; it didn't help that it was raining pretty hard for the last mile and a half. All in all, Upper Palisades Lake is a gorgeous area. I wish we could have found Waterfall Canyon; we found the turnoff later, but by then we were worn out and too tired. Maybe I'll go back there another year and find Waterfall Canyon then.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
An Artist Per Day
I had the idea today to start introducing you to an artist a day for 365 days (except when I'm camping, etc.) It's a pretty ambitious idea and I don't think anyone reads this, but I'm going to give it a try. I'm going to try my best to refrain from reading the wiki pages of these artists before I write about them.
The Books are an American band whose music is perfect for listening to while walking through the heart of a city in the middle of a heavy snowstorm. That's what I did in Helena this past winter and The Books' sound accompanied by heavy snow, emergency vehicles, and car accidents created one of the most surreal moments of my life. The Books music is largely acoustic guitar with soundbites of people talking. This creates an extremely unique sound. There is no singing, per se, but the music (which would be great without the random sounds and people talking) and the sound bites included provide the most interesting and surreal sounds I have heard in a long time.
Best album: The Lemon of Pink
The Books are an American band whose music is perfect for listening to while walking through the heart of a city in the middle of a heavy snowstorm. That's what I did in Helena this past winter and The Books' sound accompanied by heavy snow, emergency vehicles, and car accidents created one of the most surreal moments of my life. The Books music is largely acoustic guitar with soundbites of people talking. This creates an extremely unique sound. There is no singing, per se, but the music (which would be great without the random sounds and people talking) and the sound bites included provide the most interesting and surreal sounds I have heard in a long time.
Best album: The Lemon of Pink
Friday, June 26, 2009
Music
When it comes to music, I guess you could say I'm a connoisseur. I like it. I love anything that sounds beautiful or witty to my ears and I love sharing my musical tastes with my friends.
Driving home tonight, I began thinking about the best band of each decade, so I've come up with a rough list.
1960s- Bob Dylan. The Beatles were probably the obvious choice, but I like Bob Dylan much more and would rather spread his music. 1965 saw the release of Highway 61 Revisited which included Like a Rolling Stone and Desolation Row (my favorite Dylan song). Second only to Blood on the Tracks, this album is Dylan's most influential.
1970s- Pink Floyd. This was a no-brainer for me. Pink Floyd will always be my favorite band. The depth of their music- from lyrics, to instrumentation, to concept- is always flawless. They released The Dark Side of the Moon in 1973 and it remains, without a doubt, my favorite album. I'm sure if you have a few friends, at least one of them has made you sit down and listen to Dark Side of the Moon. If you've heard that one, delve a little deeper and try out A Saucerful of Secrets and Wish You Were Here.
1980s- The Smiths. In my opinion, the 1980s were not a good decade for music; come on, it gave rise to Bon Jovi's career for God's sake. My understanding of the 80s is pretty vague, but I have recently been listening to The Smiths a lot and anticipate listening more and more. The Queen is Dead (1986) is a great album and Morrissey's vocals feel really unique and impressive to me. The Smiths' style feels fresh (especially in the wake of 1980s Bon Jovi clamour). Though I need to listen to them much more to better enjoy them, The Smiths are definitely deserving of a good listen.
1990s- Radiohead. I had to put Radiohead in the 90s to make room for Sigur Rós, but Radiohead's best work comes in the 2000s with Kid A. This band absolutely blows my mind. Every single time I listen to music, I always end up at the same place- Radiohead. All paths on my ipod lead to this band. Why? Thom Yorke's vocals are fucking brilliant, his lyrics are fucking brilliant, everything about this band is fucking brilliant! Ok Computer and Kid A will blow pretty much every other album (except for Dark Side of the Moon) off your shelf. Listen to these albums in their entirety and in the dark. This band is fucking brilliant.
2000s Sigur Rós. Oh God. Imagine capturing the essence of all human emotion- from fear to hope, anger to rejoicing, pain to orgasm- in song. This is Sigur Rós. This is without a doubt the most beautiful and breathtaking music I have ever heard. In case you don't know, Sigur Rós is from Iceland and they sing in a hybrid language between English and Icelandic. The results will elicit emotions you never knew existed. Sigur Rós is the best band for closing the eyes and conjuring up beautiful mental images of rolling hills and fields, made so much more beautiful by the clarity and refreshing quality of their music. I simply cannot put it into words. If nothing else, listen to the album Takk and experience this for yourself.
Driving home tonight, I began thinking about the best band of each decade, so I've come up with a rough list.
1960s- Bob Dylan. The Beatles were probably the obvious choice, but I like Bob Dylan much more and would rather spread his music. 1965 saw the release of Highway 61 Revisited which included Like a Rolling Stone and Desolation Row (my favorite Dylan song). Second only to Blood on the Tracks, this album is Dylan's most influential.
1970s- Pink Floyd. This was a no-brainer for me. Pink Floyd will always be my favorite band. The depth of their music- from lyrics, to instrumentation, to concept- is always flawless. They released The Dark Side of the Moon in 1973 and it remains, without a doubt, my favorite album. I'm sure if you have a few friends, at least one of them has made you sit down and listen to Dark Side of the Moon. If you've heard that one, delve a little deeper and try out A Saucerful of Secrets and Wish You Were Here.
1980s- The Smiths. In my opinion, the 1980s were not a good decade for music; come on, it gave rise to Bon Jovi's career for God's sake. My understanding of the 80s is pretty vague, but I have recently been listening to The Smiths a lot and anticipate listening more and more. The Queen is Dead (1986) is a great album and Morrissey's vocals feel really unique and impressive to me. The Smiths' style feels fresh (especially in the wake of 1980s Bon Jovi clamour). Though I need to listen to them much more to better enjoy them, The Smiths are definitely deserving of a good listen.
1990s- Radiohead. I had to put Radiohead in the 90s to make room for Sigur Rós, but Radiohead's best work comes in the 2000s with Kid A. This band absolutely blows my mind. Every single time I listen to music, I always end up at the same place- Radiohead. All paths on my ipod lead to this band. Why? Thom Yorke's vocals are fucking brilliant, his lyrics are fucking brilliant, everything about this band is fucking brilliant! Ok Computer and Kid A will blow pretty much every other album (except for Dark Side of the Moon) off your shelf. Listen to these albums in their entirety and in the dark. This band is fucking brilliant.
2000s Sigur Rós. Oh God. Imagine capturing the essence of all human emotion- from fear to hope, anger to rejoicing, pain to orgasm- in song. This is Sigur Rós. This is without a doubt the most beautiful and breathtaking music I have ever heard. In case you don't know, Sigur Rós is from Iceland and they sing in a hybrid language between English and Icelandic. The results will elicit emotions you never knew existed. Sigur Rós is the best band for closing the eyes and conjuring up beautiful mental images of rolling hills and fields, made so much more beautiful by the clarity and refreshing quality of their music. I simply cannot put it into words. If nothing else, listen to the album Takk and experience this for yourself.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Cons and Pros of Being Crippled
I had surgery on my knee about three weeks ago and recovery has been slow. I've been walking without crutches for the past three days and I am slowly moving around and getting better, though my knee is still swollen to the size of a grapefruit (I'm told it may take weeks for the swelling to go down; it's really gross, too).
Music:
Anyway, the past weekend was spent driving 10 hours to the Gorge in Washington for the Sasquatch! Music Festival (a three-day festival of peace, love, empathy, and Mos Def). Crutching around from stage to stage (there were three) among the crowds was a bitch, and my armpits are still sore to remind me of the weekend. However, there was some goodness that resulted from my gimpness. The last day of the festival, the staff gave me and my girlfriend a ride down to the main stage in a bus, folding chairs (a luxury), a close view of the stage, and close, handicapped portable toilets. It was luxurious. So that was the pro; next year, if I am crippled, I'll be sure to take advantage of that each day. We also saw amazing performances by Animal Collective, The Decemberists, Of Montreal, and Fleet Foxes to name a few. Good weekend.
Hitchiking (mostly unrelated to crippledness):
I've hitchiked once, so I feel like I owe the hitchiking community. So we picked up a hitchiker outside of Sasquatch! and gave him a thirty minute ride to Moses Lake (it was on our way). Hitchikers typically have some really interesting things to share, so I encourage picking them up if it seems safe. This particular gentleman told us about all the concerts he's been to. He claimed to have seen Nirvana five or six (he couldn't remember for sure) times, so he told us all about those shows, which stronger cemented Nirvana's place as one of the greatest bands in my mind. For our trouble, the lad offered me a dose of methadone, but, alas, I was crippled and could not risk the multiple felonies of carrying that over several state lines.
Another piece of advice: Life is much easier if you avoid the felonies, they're what will screw you over in the long run, like waiting too long to turn in your RISK cards for reinforcements.
Albums to check out if you haven't:
Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective- blowing my mind a little more each time I listen to it.
Yes! by k-os- holy shit, I hate to make the claim that this is the best he's ever done, but I've listened to it almost non-stop since it came out two months ago, and it really is that good.
Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes- in case you've been in a coma for the past year, these guys are taking my Top 25 Most Played list on itunes by storm. Beautiful melodies, folk roots, and everything about it is just comforting. Listen now!
Music:
Anyway, the past weekend was spent driving 10 hours to the Gorge in Washington for the Sasquatch! Music Festival (a three-day festival of peace, love, empathy, and Mos Def). Crutching around from stage to stage (there were three) among the crowds was a bitch, and my armpits are still sore to remind me of the weekend. However, there was some goodness that resulted from my gimpness. The last day of the festival, the staff gave me and my girlfriend a ride down to the main stage in a bus, folding chairs (a luxury), a close view of the stage, and close, handicapped portable toilets. It was luxurious. So that was the pro; next year, if I am crippled, I'll be sure to take advantage of that each day. We also saw amazing performances by Animal Collective, The Decemberists, Of Montreal, and Fleet Foxes to name a few. Good weekend.
Hitchiking (mostly unrelated to crippledness):
I've hitchiked once, so I feel like I owe the hitchiking community. So we picked up a hitchiker outside of Sasquatch! and gave him a thirty minute ride to Moses Lake (it was on our way). Hitchikers typically have some really interesting things to share, so I encourage picking them up if it seems safe. This particular gentleman told us about all the concerts he's been to. He claimed to have seen Nirvana five or six (he couldn't remember for sure) times, so he told us all about those shows, which stronger cemented Nirvana's place as one of the greatest bands in my mind. For our trouble, the lad offered me a dose of methadone, but, alas, I was crippled and could not risk the multiple felonies of carrying that over several state lines.
Another piece of advice: Life is much easier if you avoid the felonies, they're what will screw you over in the long run, like waiting too long to turn in your RISK cards for reinforcements.
Albums to check out if you haven't:
Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective- blowing my mind a little more each time I listen to it.
Yes! by k-os- holy shit, I hate to make the claim that this is the best he's ever done, but I've listened to it almost non-stop since it came out two months ago, and it really is that good.
Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes- in case you've been in a coma for the past year, these guys are taking my Top 25 Most Played list on itunes by storm. Beautiful melodies, folk roots, and everything about it is just comforting. Listen now!
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