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 2008 List of a Mélange of Things or LOAMOT: 1. Best film: The Dark Knight Each time I saw it, I fell into the shadows of the Joker: a character of ghastly life, a man with a morbid smile that makes you laugh nervously one second and shrink away the next. Deep down inside, I rooted for him even though I knew I shouldn't-- I wanted him to succeed so badly in, yes, creating total anarchy! I felt so sorry for and affected by every character in this film. Batman, who tries so hard to do what is right; James Gordon, the man in the middle who is so loyal and so brave, and who I believe is the true hero; Harvey Dent, a man driven to the dark side, consumed by anger and loss... I love director Christopher Nolan for everything he has done for the Batman series and for superheroes in general. He brought back a seriousness and sincerity to the superhero and washed away all the cheesy and campy nature these films have become. But even more so, transcending the superhero genre and viewing it from just a film standpoint, this was a masterpiece from start to finish. It was dark and it was smart, delving into morals, ideals, and right versus wrong. » Runner-up: Wall-E 2. Best album: Bon Iver, "For Emma, Forever Ago" I'm quite sure a few will be surprised that I did not name Coldplay as my album of year. But, for me, 2008 revolved around listening to Bon Iver. It's simply... wonderful. And delicate, beautiful, soulful, gentle yet sad... Justin Vernon's voice reached into the depths of me, moving me to the core. It's an indescribable feeling listening to this album; it transports you into another world, another time, another place. » Runners-up: Coldplay, "Viva La Vida", Fleet Foxes, self-titled 3. Best book: Watchmen (read in 2008) Many have told me to read this since I'm a big superhero fan. It took me a few years to get around to it, and I finally did this year. Boy, did this novel deliver, even with all the hype and expectations I had for it! It presents a beautiful deconstruction of the superhero with a crime that keeps you going until the end. And let me tell you, the ending made go, "WHAT?! That's insane! But... makes sense?" It was one of those moments where I retraced all the steps leading up to that point and realized that, as outrageous as the idea was, it worked. And hey, superheroes are just as human as we are; they need saving, too. » Runner-up: The History of Love (read in 2008) 4. Best TV show: The Office Every year, The Office wins this category. My runner-up always changes, and I think that's a more accurate take on my favorite new show(s) of the year. What can I say? The Office makes me laugh without fail and still manages to hit upon a soft note in certain episodes. I think the best part of this show is how... real to life it is. You can, or at least I can, imagine this happening in an actual workplace. And I would very much like to be a part of that. » Runners-up: 30 Rock, Pushing Daisies 5. Best moment: June & December These were two good months for me. I spiraled down for a few months, but I managed to pull myself out of it. To say I have a jar hovering above my head, ready to clamp down on me at any time is a pretty good analogy (thanks, Sylvia Plath). But both June and December were good, in fact, probably the happiest I've been. I love my friends more than I can put in words; they truly are the most interesting, talented, and genuine people I have ever known. And for as long as I've known them, they still surprise me everyday (or rather, every time I see them). Other than that, it's been a milestone year with some "growing up" time thrown in. And let's not forget, an incredibly historic year as well. All in all, not too shabby. » Next year: I can only hope things will be better, or will get better. I look forward to it because I really have no idea what to expect. Who knows, you know? I'll take whatever life throws at me, whether good or bad. Because somehow I think things will be okay. Hear, hear! (Previously: 2007 LOAMOT)
—Tuesday, December 30, 2008 2 comments Looking back on '08
 A couple of weeks ago, I read this Entertainment Weekly article, The Crazy Cult of 'The Room'. I was so fascinated by it because 1) I love bad movies, 2) especially the ones that are so bad that they're good, and 3) if Paul Rudd loves it, I'm all in. So I watched The Room today and oh my god, it was impossibly bad. It was one disaster after another. And yet, it was so amazingly awful that it was complete and utter genius! The random cutaways (I guess to show time passing?), the forced interaction and dialogue ("acting"? Dubbing?), the random introduction of characters (why is this person relevant?), weird tripping scenes (comedy?), greenscreen shots for no apparent reason (nice), loose plot lines (what about...?) and really drawn out sex scenes (rose petals, anyone?). It was hysterical. I was watching it in complete disbelief and laughing all at once. Also, I would pay to have Tommy Wiseau talk to me all day. "I wood do anything far my garl!" "I did naht hit her! I DID NAAAHT!!" "You ahre tearing me aparht, Lisaahh!!" Ah, it never ends. Here's the trailer, and if you ever get a chance, please watch it with a friend. I guarantee good times! Because the ending is something to behold ("ARRGHHH!!!... AHHHHGGGGHH!!!... AHHHH!!!").
—Saturday, December 27, 2008 2 comments The cult of 'The Room'
 [at the movies] Captain-P: Look! The Jonas Brothers! Me: (sees the cardboard cutout) Captain-P: Can you believe Nick Jonas and Miley Cyrus broke up?! Me: (in disbelief) I... what? (starts laughing) Captain-P: I was reading Miley Cyrus' Wikipedia page yesterday, just to see how old she was so it wouldn't seem weird if I thought she was hot... Me: I... can't... even look at you. Captain-P: (starts laughing) Me: And do you think she's hot...? Captain-P: No. Me: Still... I... can't even look at you right now. Go to the bathroom.
—Friday, December 26, 2008 0 comments On those Disney kids
 Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all! I hope it's a warm and cheery one.
—Thursday, December 25, 2008 0 comments Merry Christmas!
 - The Last Days of W. - An Abandoned Library - The Manhattan Street Corners - Making Iron Man (Jeff Bridges is awesome!) - The (Mostly) True Story of Helvetica and the New York City Subway - A 20-year-old model photographed as if she were 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, & 60 years old (Previously: Lists, part 18)
—Sunday, December 21, 2008 1 comment Lists, part 19
 "Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering." -- Nicole Krauss, The History of Love
—Saturday, December 20, 2008 0 comments Once upon a time...
 Zomg, I'm totally writing about the Backstreet Boys!!! I can't... (laughs) I can't believe I'm writing about this, but Ashley wrote an entry a little ways back about NSYNC, so I thought I'd confess my absolute adoration for my favorite boy band ever. I admit, the first album I ever listened to was "Dookie" by Green Day, then came Weezer's "Blue Album" and Nirvana. Dudes, Kurt Cobain was like a revelation. Beastie Boys, Weird Al and the Stone Temple Pilots soon followed mixed in with a lot of Motown, but somehow, somehow, I fell into the whole boy band craze and thus defined my middle school years. Oh my god, I even saw them in concert. And I'm not even ashamed of it. I remember my friend started hysterically crying when they finally came on stage. I have the tour t-shirt to prove it-- it's got holes in it because I wore it so much. Oh my god, I'll Never Break Your Heart was always one of the slow dances in middle school (along with the ever present K-Ci and Jojo... OH MY GOD). Look at those clothes! Nick's hair! The obligatory open shirt! The weird circle room! There is so much cheese going on in this video, I love it. My favorite? AJ. God, he had (still has?) the most heavenly voice. I loved his voice so much that I would replay certain parts of songs to just hear him. And I still like his voice! True story, I don't think most pegged me as an AJ girl because he was the "bad boy." (God, his tattoos were sexy!) Just about everyone thought I was a Brian or Nick girl. Psssh, yeah right! AJ's voice was smooth like buttah. I still think they have the best harmony; their voices mixed so well. Of course everyone will contend with me about NSYNC, which yes, they were something else. NSYNC turned out to be the more successful of the two. While they were at their height with "Bye Bye Bye," the Backstreet Boys somehow grew darker and turned away from the songs that made them. I admire that in the way, changing directions. Alas, it didn't last for long and they soon disappeared. I'll say their comeback was, again, admirable (sans Kevin), but at this present time, it seems the era of the boy band is over. Maybe there will be another heyday in a few years, who knows? Wow, remember when they were on TRL? The mass hysteria out in Times Square? Wow. Oh lord, even TRL is gone now, too. I leave you with BSB at the Grammys. You can compare their a cappella of "How Deep Is Your Love" with NSYNC's version at the Grammys (1:30). Both are good, but you know me, BSB gurl 4ea!! <333 Oh yeah, and 98 Degrees? What was that about?
—Thursday, December 18, 2008 1 comment BSB 4ea!! <333
 She danced flirtatiously in the candlelit room, vying for the man's attention. She's married and has children. She played coy as he drew closer to her. She's been having an affair with him. She talked intimately with him on the couch in the darkest corner. She's young, she's sassy, she's a flirt. Three different women, all for the same man. As I sat at the bar, sipping my water (oh, I know how awesome I am), I watched everything happen. Horrible as it sounds, the first thought that popped into my head after I left was, "What a cliché." Work parties were never my thing. I felt more out of place than usual and also, I really didn't want to be there after an hour. I would've much preferred being at a diner, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, in the company of good friends, chowing down on some burgers and milkshakes. Because this is not where I want to be or who want to be when I "grow up." Maybe I'm just too young to see that this is cool? Or maybe I just have an old soul. Or maybe I'm just a different breed of person with different interests. The point is, I know who I am and I have a firm grasp on that; I won't turn into someone I'm not. (If I somehow do, please punch me in the face.) At least I wasn't the only one. While I was having this moment at the bar, Big-T joined me. He said, "Nine o'clock... surprised you lasted this long." To which I replied, "...I really want to go." He said, "Yeah, me too. But this whole walking past everyone and getting your coat to leave is tricky." Then someone came over and started talking his ear off, and I spoke with a few others. As the person who was talking to him got distracted, he turned to me, wide-eyed, and whispered desperately, "Help me. Throw me a lifeline. Get me out of here. Lifeline, anything..." And then, right there, a moment presented itself and we escaped. At least I'm not the only one...
—Wednesday, December 17, 2008 1 comment This isn't where I want to be
 Bacon. Bacon Salt. Baconnaise. But what if there was mayo flavored bacon? My mind cannot process this. It would look, smell and feel like bacon but once you bite into it... mayonnaise. I cannot wrap my head around this concept, but it's making me kind of nauseous thinking about it. I need to see this come true because it would be such a great prank. While we're at it, what about salt flavored bacon? I'm just reversing the above creations. Again, bite into it... salt. No, not the same effect as mayonnaise. Mayonnaise has that... jiggling factor. Yeah, I'm more into seeing the mayo flavored bacon happen. (But I will tell you, Bacon Salt is the most amazing thing ever. I've sprinkled it on fries and hey, bacon! Baked potato? Bacon. Seasoned on salmon? Bacon, bacon, bacon. I have yet to try Baconnaise because, well, mayonnaise makes me a little queasy. I can tell you I've only heard good things about it. In the words of Michael Scott: "Most nights before I go to bed, I will lay six strips of bacon out on my George Foreman Grill. Then I go to sleep. When I wake up, I plug in the grill, I go back to sleep again. Then I wake up to the smell of crackling bacon. It is delicious, it's good for me. It's the perfect way to start the day.")  When I was kid, I used to walk down the street and see shoes thrown over telephone wires. I've always wondered what that actually meant, and still do today. The only explanation I got as a kid was this: it was because someone recently passed away, and it was a tribute or sign of respect. I still do like that idea, in a weird way. I've always imagined someone in the middle of the night, by him or herself, walking towards a telephone wire with a pair of old shoes slung over his or her shoulder. Just the person and the silence of the night. He or she would say something in the deceased person's honor and then, in one swift motion, toss up the shoes. I always thought that'd be exhilarating, or a nice releasing of emotions, for that one brief moment, just flinging those shoes up there. Anyway, did any of you guys have a different explanation?
—Sunday, December 7, 2008 8 comments Shoes on a wire
 The moment I stepped inside the cab, I knew it. That smell hit me like a tackle in backyard football. My cab driver was high as a kite. I couldn't back out because I had already given directions and was situated. I thought he didn't hear me right, so I said my directions again and he said, "I... know. I... know." And we crawled off at the speed of a turtle. He meandered along the roads, often ignoring lanes (then again, I don't think lanes exist when it comes to driving in New York). But oh man, every now and then he would floor it and I'd be thrown back into my seat. At one point the light went yellow and we were still flying down the road. I closed my eyes and thanked myself for buckling up. He slammed on the brakes and I hurtled forward. We stopped right in front of the crosswalk-- not an inch over, not an inch behind. Right on the spot. We were almost near my destination when he sneezed. I said, "Bless you," and he mumbled, "Thank you" behind his handkerchief. That's when he started telling me about Dunkin' Donuts and how he buys the same thing everyday: coffee and a doughnut. After a while, he finally concluded that he was allergic to the doughnut because he always sneezes after eating it. I said, "Well, don't worry about Dunkin'..." He said, "I won't worry about Duncan... he's alright..." We finally arrived and he counted my change impossibly slow, but I was too amused and amazed at how I was able to touch solid ground once again.
—Tuesday, December 2, 2008 2 comments Flying high
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