1st halfsies

6 months of 2009 are history. 6 months to go. Here are my favorite albums of the first half of the year. The more I listen, they are subject to change.


1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
2. Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
3. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
4. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
5. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
6. Doves - Kingdom of Rust
7. Mos Def - The Ecstatic
8. The Mars Volta - Octahedron
9. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South
10. Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
11. Other Lives - Other Lives
12. Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 - White Lies for Dark Times
13. U2 - No Line on the Horizon


Albums I'm looking forward to

The Dead Weather - Horehound (July 14)
The Roots - How I Got Over (August 11)
Third Eye Blind - Ursa Major (August 18)
Matisyahu - Light (August 25)
David Bazan - Curse Your Branches (September 1)
Muse - The Resistance (September 14)
Pearl Jam - Backspacer (September 22)

And any other unannounced albums that may drop in '09...

A Tribute to the King of Pop

Here are my 15 favorite songs of his...


1. Billie Jean (Thriller)
2. Beat It (Thriller)
3. The Way You Make Me Feel (Bad)
4. Wanna Be Startin' Something (Thriller)
5. Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough (Off the Wall)
6. Thriller (Thriller)
7. Scream (HIStory)
8. Black or White (Dangerous)
9. Baby Be Mine (Thriller)
10. Man in the Mirror (Bad)
11. Dirty Diana (Bad)
12. Bad (Bad)
13. Smooth Criminal (Bad)
14. Working Day and Night (Off the Wall)
15. You Rock My World ( Invincible)


Several others coulda made it into 11-15, but these are the ones i'm feeling today. Rest in peace your majesty. We'll miss you.

Lunch Break Ramblings

Today, while eating my two day old chicken breast, I was thinking about the lack of love that low market teams get in the news.

The Colorado Rockies just went on a streak in which they won 16 out of 17. This is virtually unheard of in baseball. Yet, the most recent ESPN power ranking has them at 15 in the league. I understand that they were unbelievably bad before the streak, but c'mon.

Between the Rockies and the Nuggets, Colorado gets no love from the media. The Nuggets were the number 2 team in the west for most of the season and didn't get much press until they took the Lakers to six games in the conference finals. Everybody knows who Andrew Bynum is, but not many could tell you who Nene Hilario is. The lack of coverage kinda pisses me off.

The Rockies rarely play on ESPN. Their games are only televised on the local stations. Yet teams like the Mets and Dodgers are frequently televised, even when they suck.

Anyway, I don't have too big of a point, just kinda Rambling before I have to go back to work.

My You Tube Debut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDTpCymr0z4


This is me doing a little karaoke on a cruise ship. Enjoy...


Cast of Characters

Lauryn Hill - Catherine Riley

Wyclef Jean - BJ Karlik

Camerawoman & canned laughter - Glenda Riley



Oh, and by the way, if anyone knows how I can post this actual video and not just a link to the video on the blog let me know.

Proximity

There is something unique about being close. Close physical and emotional proximity creates an exciting yet soothing feeling.

I enjoy sunshine. I enjoy the breeze. I enjoy being barefoot. I enjoy baseball. I enjoy the rain. I enjoy running. I enjoy gazing. I enjoy kissing. I enjoy walking. I enjoy talking. I enjoy listening. I enjoy laughing. I enjoy drinking.

These things I enjoy most with her...

Miles

After months and months of mundane existence, this insanely busy spring came as a breath of fresh, but thick air. March consisted of a week and a half long trip to Europe, immediately followed by a four day trip to southern California. April consisted of baseball. Lots and lots of baseball. It was Jeff's senior season, so at least 3 days a week I illegally sped in my red Jetta from work to a ballgame. April also consisted of lots and lots of training. Marathon training. May continued the trend. I ran the Marathon on the third, which I'll later go into more detail about. The following week I left for Southern California to attend Catherine's graduation. The next day I joined the Riley family on a week long cruise up to British Columbia. Upon my return to Colorado, I've entered into a relationship which has been time consuming in a completely satisfying way. Needless to say, I've had little time to reflect.

With the obvious exception of a relationship, the marathon is far and away the most special thing I've needed to process. At the beginning of February I decided to officially begin training. My dream was to run a 3:10 time, which would qualify me for the prestigious Boston Marathon. The race in Ft. Collins, while being at a high elevation, is also mostly downhill. I thought it'd give me a decent shot at that goal.

I began training hard. The first day of training was a 10 mile run during a huge snowfall. I did not get too much advice beyond scattered conversations with runners on how to prepare, so I used a collection of these conversations to work out my own training regiment. Starting out with ten probably was not the wisest choice, but I thought I was in good enough shape. Every thursday was to be my interval day. This meant I had to run 4 6:30 miles, with 5 minute jogging breaks in between each mile. This proved tougher than I originally thought, but I stayed consistent. Every sunday was my long run day. The first sunday was a 14 mile run just hours before the Super Bowl.

About 4 weeks into training, the arch of my right foot started killing me. It became difficult to even run short distances on. It swelled up and turned blue. As luck would have it, I had some sort of inflammation which caused me to stay off of it for a few days. Being that 3 months is already a bit short to train for 26.2 miles, I was not too excited about this.

After staying off of it for a week or two, I started running again, but couldn't do much. Several different bugs started going around work and I got sick for a couple of weeks. This didn't stop me from running, but it stopped me from training the way I needed to.

Then came the European vacation. I didn't run for almost two weeks. I didn't rest my body properly and pretty much did everything wrong or half assed in my training. The whole time I was wondering if my foot would be ready to go on may 3rd. If it was, I was not too sure that my body could handle finishing a marathon, let alone doing it in a qualifying time.

I ran consistently in April with no pain in my foot. I decided that I'd be good to go. My final long run was 16 miles about 2 and a half weeks before the race. Everybody I talked to said that I needed to top out at around 20-22 miles about 4 or 5 weeks out. That never happened. My goal became simply to finish. I had ten more miles to go after the most I had ever run. I didn't know if my body could handle it.

May 3rd came and it came early. I awoke at 3:20 that morning. I ate a banana and some peanut butter toast. I trimmed my toenails as low as they would go, applied Vaseline and runner's glide to almost every inch of my body, put my clothes on and left Loveland, arriving at Ft. Collins at 4:30. I boarded a bus by myself and took a 45 minute ride up the mountain to the starting line. While on the bus, I downed several water bottles and ate a clif bar. Got to the top of the mountain, peeled of my sweats, stretched a bit and went to the starting line.

It was freezing that morning. It had to be in the 30's at 6 am. I could see my breath and my legs were frozen, being that my shorts were so short that my ass was literally hanging out. I knew I'd warm up once we started.

The course was beautiful. Quite possibly the most beautiful morning I've ever experienced. The race started and I ran with one thousand of my closest friends towards the finish. To get there we had to run down the canyon, along a the beautiful poudre river, towards the sunrise. It rose directly through the canyon as the mist and fog gently rested on the tree covered mountains. I was close to tears.

My legs felt fresh, my heart was excited, and I cruised. With all the water I drank, I had to pee at miles 5, 8, and 11. After that, my bladder was good until the end. I was amazed at how good I felt. Every few miles I took a drink of water or some of that Heed sport drink. I had an energy goo in my hand that was given to me, but I never used it.

At mile 18, I was still cruising. But then, I heard footsteps behind me and a voice firmly said "You better quit messin' around and start running!" I turned around to see a short, bald headed man with a grey moustache. "Sorry," I said, "I'm going at a steady pace." "Hey man, you're only young once, you need to run this thing." Turns out it was his 164th marathon and he was planning on running 300 before he kicks the bucket. He told me he once ran a 2:55 marathon on a saturday, and the very next day ran a 2:53 marathon. Badass is the only word to describe this man. After running together for about half a mile he said "get going," and I got going. It was inspiration I needed.

At about mile 19 I passed a girl who seemed to be a pretty badass runner. I was feeling good. I hadn't been passed yet, except while stopping for the bathroom. I hate being passed. Even on a saturday morning jog. I hate being passed. I know that while training I'm just supposed to practice a pace and not run against people, but I'm too competitive. I hate hate hate being passed. That's how I run races. I don't let people passe me. It helps that I usually start in the back and all the people faster than me are in the front, but still, I don't like being passed. At about mile 22, this girl that I thought was in my dust, passes me. I was furious, but I was starting to feel a lack of strength in my legs. I knew it would take all of my energy to keep up with her and I couldn't keep that pace for the last 4 miles. It didn't help that it was a girl. I try to be forward thinking about women and their abilities, but I still hate being inferior in any way athletic to a girl.

I kept her in my sight for the last few miles as my body began to break down. I never got to a point of misery, but I was ready for the race to be over at about mile 23. She kept going further, and further ahead of me. She got to about 50 or 60 yards ahead of me and I thought, my only remaining goal is to pass this woman before the finish line. With a half mile left I turned it on. I ran as hard as my body would take me. With about 200 yards remaining, I passed her! She ate my dust for the final remaining distance. She'll never know that I was so intent on beating her, but it helped me finish.

As I crossed the finish line to the cheers of hundreds, my eyes wandered to the time clock and with amazement I saw the number 3:38:36. I had no idea how long it took me. I thought it could've been over 4 hours seeing as I only trained for about 2 months altogether. My final time ended up being 3:36:42 which I was extremely proud of. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I look forward to doing another. I only have 26 minutes to shave from my time. That's a full minute per mile, which is a bit daunting, but now I know what to expect.

The experience was beautiful. My only regret is that I was alone. I had nobody to share the glory with. Nobody to celebrate with. Nobody there to encourage me. Running 26.2 by oneself is lonely enough. Having nobody there at the finish line was far worse. I think it was good though. There is something about adventure alone. Accomplishing something by oneself. There was a freedom amongst the loneliness.

A Few Recommendations

A few months ago, a fellow blogger posted a little known film that moved him deeply. It got me thinking, there are several films out there that have gotten little to no love from the critical world, awards network, or general public that I feel deserve a fair shot. As a Sunday afternoon exercise, I thought I'd post a few of them. My rules are simple but not iron clad. They have to be film's that few people that I know have seen or heard of. They can't have been overly recognized by the academy, the golden globes, or other ridiculous awards committees. Notice, I used the word "overly." My hope with this post is that a few more people will see a few more films that I believe are strong. Here's a list in no particular order.


The Sweet Hereafter (1997):

I know I know. The first thing you may say is that this film had two oscar nominations. Well, my rules are more like guidelines. I don't know one person whose seen this film. I've never been able to discuss it with anyone. I rarely see any film critics referencing it in their blogs. This is a beautiful, tough, and emotionally draining film. I truly had no clue what it was about when I watched it. I encourage you to do the same.

Breach (2007):

This film opened to good reviews and I went and saw it with my dad. He's the only person I've ever heard mention it. Critics seemed to enjoy it but it got no awards recognition and bombed at the box office. Chris Cooper gives a subtle yet dynamic performance. Ryan Phillipe shows that what he lacks in range he makes up for in film selection. I'm not a huge fan of him as an actor, but he chooses good film to associate himself with, with only a few exceptions.

Elephant (2003):

A few very good reviews and a good showing at the Cannes Film Festival, yet not many have seen it. My jaw was close to the floor when it was over. Gus Van Sant knows what the hell he's doing.

Green Street Hooligans (2005):

This film is virtually unnoticed by anyone. I told a few soccer players I know about it and they loved it. Yeah, the fight club inspiration is evident, but this is a strong dramatic feature showing that Elijah Wood can play more than effeminate mythological characters or Huck Finn.

Menace II Society (1993):

A film with several similarities to Boyz n tha Hood but strong none the less. Very tough film but worth the effort.

Rescue Dawn (2006):

Christian Bale stars in this Werner Herzog true story about a pilot shot down in Laos. Herzog directed a documentary about this guy ten years before and thought his story needed to be told in a feature. Solid film.

Shattered Glass (2003):

While incredibly wooden in the Star Wars prequels, Hayden Christensen gives a compelling performance about a journalist who fabricated several stories. True story.

Slacker (1991):

Very influential independent film, yet nobody I know has seen it.

Sunshine (2007):

Danny Boyle's directorial predecessor to Slumdog Millionaire. The ending shows a small lack of focus, but the overall film is a thought provoking sci fi thriller.

Synechdoche, New York (2008):

One of the few films I've seen in which its weaknesses also function as strengths. An imperfect film, but something told me I had just watched something special. Philip Seymour Hoffman is marvelous.

The Way of the Gun (2000):

The writer of the Usual Suspects directorial debut. A few friends in high school were all Usual suspects fanatics, so we rented this one and had a party. I've not met anyone who has seen it since. A modern day western. Like all good westerns, this is a moral tale that disguises itself as action.

Without Limits (1998):

Ok, this film is special because I love to run. This is the Steve Prefontaine film. It didn't even gross 1 million at the box office. It deserves to be seen.

Broken Flowers (2005):

Not a great film, but an interesting Bill Murray performance.

Dancer in the Dark (2000):

Not only does Bjork have an amazing voice, but she can act. This is an emotionally draining film.

Hard Candy (2005):

One of the creepier movies I've ever seen. Ellen Page showed a few years before Juno how well she really can act.

Harsh Times (2005):

Worth it simply for Christian Bale's performance. It is a little derivative of Training Day, same screenwriter, but Bale gives a hell of a performance.

Igby Goes Down (2002):

The Culkin kids can act. This film owes something to Catcher in the Rye. It's the closest thing to Salinger's novel that we are likely to see on screen, seeing as Salinger signed some sort of contract stating that CITR would never be made into a film.

Kalifornia (1993):

Brad Pitt's creepiest performance. An interesting study of American violence.

Millions (2005):

Another Danny Boyle film that needs to be seen. This film transcends any sort of label somebody could place on it.

The Proposition (2005):

If you like westerns, here is a solid one.

Year of the Dog (2007):

Not a huge fan of Molly Shannon the comedian. I thought most of her SNL characters like Mary Catherine Gallagher, the licensed joyologist, and others were annoying. However, she does have dramatic acting skills. She is truly wonderful in this film that deserves to be seen.



Hopefully this will inspire some viewing. Leave me comments if you've seen any of these or if there are ones that I missed.