The top ten things that brought newly minted happiness into my life:
10. NYC SUBWAYS
They're totally underappreciated by people who ride them every day. But the colorful cast of characters that you can spot on any given day is unlike any circus sideshow roaming the countryside as we speak. Detroit could only be so lucky to have a mass transit system with a tenth of the awesome power/expediency and culture of the NYC subway system.
9. FRIENDSTER
You're on it, so shut the fuck up and quit trying to pretend you hate it. Don't say you're on there because your friends made you. You are on there because it's fun to fuck off and mess around, like everyone else.
8. BLOGS
There's hella crap blogs out there. Enough to keep people pacified with horrible entries for hours with tickle me emo confessionalisms guarenteed to be a bulemic's alternative to sticking a finger down the throat. But on the upside of the coin, there are some fantastic blogs out there that are worthy of your eyesight day in and day out. The links are on the left side of this page, I'm not going to name them all individually...but if they're on my page it's a sure thing I check them daily.
7. DIM SUM/DIM MAK
One is now a favorite cuisine of mine thanks to a bald headed curmudgeon residing in Brooklyn and his lovely girlfriend, the other is a record label that...along with Tigerbeat6 and a few others...got me all excited whenever a package arrived in the mail. They weren't my label of the year by a long shot...but they definitely were one of the more adventurous ones in 2003.
6. GEORGE PLIMPTON
I remember reading Paper Lion when I was a kid and having it be way over my head, but liking it. I remember him as the guy from Mousterpiece theater. Somewhere in late 2002 I picked up another one of his books, a collection of shorter works and fell in love all over again with the man's writing. He was in a storytelling leauge with Hemingway and Twain...and I hope time and history will justify that claim. I should only hope that one day I retain a small fraction of the brilliance he gave to the world.
5. BOOA/MISS PAC MAN
Booa is my friend's dog in NYC, but easily one of the best dogs I've ever hung out with. Booa is so much fun and has the honors of being the first animal that has ever slept at the foot of my bed that didn't freak me the fuck out. Miss Pac Man is my other friend's cat in NYC..but this cat has extra special abilities unlike any other cat I've ever seen. She's like the six million dollar cat or something. Either way, these two pets made me wish I wasn't so damn allergic to pet dander..because I'd really like to own a cat or dog one day.
4. FAMILY GUY DVDs
Aside from the West Wing and Curb Your Enthusiasm, it's really the only thing on TV I watch anymore.
3. A REVITALIZED DETROIT ELECTRONIC SCENE
Finally! It's taken a few years but the Detroit electronic music scene is back in action! More producers stepping up and delivering the goods. Breaking from the traditional notion of what Detroit techno is about. And for you snooty purists, I'm not just talking about my friends in Ann Arbor either. There's a plethora of new and upcoming releases from producers that will start to make their mark real soon. The dinosaurs and cobwebs are starting to clear and I think 2003 ushered in a new sense of possibility that the city hasn't felt in quite some time. It's quite exciting to be around here. Lots of experimentation and collaboration without the past drama of old Detroit and Chicago cats.
2. YANKEE CANDLE COMPANY
Shut up. I love it. And you secretly do too. I went out and bought a 12 pack of votive candles today. I purchased Clean Cotton, Christmas Cookie, French Vanilla (x2), Hazelnut Coffee, Sage and Citrus, Crisp Spruce, Ocean Water, Festival, Midsummer Night, Snow Magic and Coconut Bay. My living space is now certified freshness thanks to the YC2. Nice!
1. DORKWAVE
It is a musical movement similar in fate to ROMO, but god damnit it is fun being able to play Dead Kennedys and early Prince in a dance club and have people dance to it without missing a beat.