• Best album: Wonderful Rainbow by Lightning Bolt
• Best song: Sonic Titans by Sleep (found on Dopesmoker)
• Best live show: Moistboyz
• Best DVD: Terrorists from Another Planet by the Shapeshifters
• Best movie: Return of the King

  Best song: Sonic Titans by Sleep

• Favorite bar: Model Cafe (Allston, MA)
• Favorite homemade drink: Mai Tai
• Favorite drink to go out and get: Scorpion Bowl
• Best book that I read: An American Dream by Norman Mailer
• Guiltiest pleasure: Friendster
• Cheapest thrill: Seeing my name in print (special thanks to 1-UP megazine!)
• Most watched television show:
  Dr. Who

Led Zeppelin DVD - The best thing to come out this year. I've not seen every band ever play live but I can say with some confidence that none were as good as Zeppelin. And to whoever put the DVD together: wow, good job, from the menus down to the incredible sound, what a production.

Beats right in line with my taste for as little jazz influence as possible.

Dizzee Rascal "Boy in Da Corner" - Hip hop like I have yet to hear from anyone else. Beats right in line with my taste for as little jazz influence as possible. My favorite album of the 2003. Look for it on 2004 lists next year as it came out in the USA this January.

M. Ward "The Transmigration of Vincent" - With Elliot Smith gone I'm looking at Ward to fill the acoustic void, though nowhere near as sad and tragic.

Cat Power, two songs, not the whole album: "Good Woman" "Werewolf" (a cover) [the album was not that great] - A big disappointment, but these two tracks are among her best. "Good Woman" was so good that not even background vocals by Eddie Vedder could kill it.

Gravy Train "Titties Bounce" - Another good song off of a poor album. I recommend downloading it. Also I think the titties being referred to are those of a nun whose chasing the band for doing some blasphemous stuff with the sacrament which i do not approve of.

Blood Brothers "Burn Piano Island Burn" - The most unlistenable album I listened to quite a bit this year. I just turned 29 and I'm happy to report that I still enjoy music that is for the most part a whole lot of yelling.

Still, the best comedy on TV is animated.

Stephen Malkmus, not the album but the limited edition ep that came with the album - The closest thing yet to what I hoped his solo career would be. The album was not what I'd hoped for or expected, so I'm glad the marketing department at Matador came up with the bonus ep idea.

Aquateen Hunger Force - The Simpsons haven't been worth watching since 1998. Still, the best comedy on TV is animated.

Da Ali G Show - It really sounds like a tired idea if someone's describing it to you but a white guy talking hip hop lingo, in this case, is brilliant. One of the few TV shows that can be a weekly event with friends.

400 Blows - I first saw them during the first night of their residency at spaceland. I made sure I made it to the next three as well (and show up early as there were lines of people each night that didn't get in). LA's most exciting local live act of 2003. A nice angry addition to the Silverlake scene.

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TEKMOLOGY

Archos AV 320 - Video recorder/player, mp3 recorder/player, and mass storage device all in one.

Plextor PX-708UF DVD Burner - I was able to fit the first two entire seasons of That '70s Show on one DVD. The entire Evangelion Collection and the entire Cowboy Bebop Collection each filled up merely half a DVD. Great for storing all the crap I just digitized with my AV320.

FOR YR VIEWING PLEASURE

Evangelion - I slept on this one a long time ago. But not anymore. I saw the entire series and movie in one glorious week at Edward's. And I was able to store it all for my own personal use on the Archos AV320. Thanks to Edward for setting me straight.

Buffy Final Season - The end of one of the best TV series I've seen in a long time.

Return of the King

Cowboy Bebop

Sundays at Lonnie's - watching football from 10 to 5 on six TVs. Sensory overload.

Larry Sanders - Complete first season.

Bad Boys II - I don't care what anyone says. People just don't get this movie!

Bubba Ho-tep

Curb Your Enthusiasm - Third season.

MTV JAMS - 100% commercial-free hip hop and r&b. Has been a constant source of media for my Archos. My first Rap Video Magazine will be coming out in 2004 using my DVD burner of course.

Thirstin Howl III taught me the true importance of wearing fake Polo.

FOR YR LISTENING PLEASURE

Thirstin Howl III "Skilligan's Island" - Taught me the true importance of wearing fake Polo.

Edan "Primitive Plus"

Mad Villain

FOR YR WEARING PLEASURE

US Polo Association - For all your fake Polo needs.

FOR CONSUMPTION

Salsa Autentica

SPORTS

poop dogs - the inaugural fantasy football season of the poop dogs. Result: 7-7, 6th place. Defeated by the buckwheaton bees in the consolation bracket. Feeding the football animal. mmm...

LeBron James - Better than advertised. Can you believe that!?

Albert Pujols - Unbelievably sick sick season. The NL MVP in my unashamedly biased eyes.

ocelot ======== 2003 was a year of big changes for me. It was like the universe was constipated all through 2000, 2001 and 2002 and then all of a sudden God stuck a finger down his throat and everything hurled into motion.

So, for your entertainment, my top 16 thoughts and realizations for 2003.

1. Rich people aren't naturally more graceful than the rest of us. They just pay their way out of situations that have the potential to make them look awkward or vulnerable. Case in point - you never see rich people trying to unload a heavy grocery bag into a car while simultaneously opening the trunk and maintaining control over a little kid. There are just some things that can't be done with grace and poetry. The same thing goes for Buddhist monks. Sure they may look serene in their orange robes and sandals but they'd get just as bent out of shape as the rest of us if they were stuck in a slow-moving elevator, running late to a job interview on a hot summer's day.
2. People think when they fall in love, it'll be with some magical person who makes all their fears vanish and gives them an amazing sense of calm and well-being and there are never any arguments or moments of drama ever again. This isn't quite true. I think we pick up drama and issues over the years and we have different relationships and these things become a part of us and never just vanish. Instead, when you meet the right person for you, the same old issues are going to come up, only this time you'll be with someone who can help you work through them and resolve stuff instead of just adding new issues to the list.
3. Little kids are nasty because it's frustrating to be a little kid. From the time you're born until high school, your time is never your own to control. You're always under the direction of your parents, teachers, siblings, etc. Some kids direct their frustration and need for control into bullying. It's one of the few ways they can turn the tables and have control in their lives (by scaring someone else into doing what they want). The other option is to fixate on dinosaurs. When kids grow old enough to become self-directing and they gain a sense of control over their own lives, I think the bullying disappears. Otherwise, why aren't there more adults walking around shoving people and demanding candy money? Of course some kids develop a taste for meanness and even when they reach the age where they are free of parental authority, they continue to bully just for the sake of doing it. But I think at a certain point, bullies get tired of demanding money... I mean, it becomes a hollow challenge. So that's when they turn to pimping, raping, spousal abuse. I think little boys live in fear of girls... in that they try to get on their good side by impressing them, not by manipulating them. At a certain point though, I think bullies find sex abuse way more fulfilling than petty theft.
4. If you dream big and your dream comes true, you'll be faced with the question of whether or not you're worthy of such a dream. So, it's great to have goals and plans and things and it's really commendable to actually achieve them instead of just talking about them... but when the opportunity presents itself, it's kind of a shock. Everything is just theory until the rubber actually hits the road.
5. Relationships of any kind aren't really about what you get out of it. They're about who you can be, how you can express yourself and what kinds of possibilities are opened up to the both of you. If 2 people are in a relationship and all they focus on is what they can get out of it individually, it's not realistic to expect it to be a good relationship. Then it becomes more of a business transaction and instead of moving forward you just learn how to get good at giving someone a crappy back scratch but getting a great one in return.

7. If you ever have kids, make sure they have lots of opportunities to make friends growing up. And make sure they get good at staying in touch with people. Without my friends I would have nothing - no job, no funny stories, no support in times of crises, no nothing. Education only goes so far these days. I think it's easier to cram your brain with knowledge than it is to get along with people and be genuine.
8. Every reaction you have is a choice. Sometimes it might not feel that way, but it is. Want to see what I mean? Next time something happens to you where normally you'd get annoyed, try to make a joke about it instead. Or get depressed instead. Or give an absurdist reaction. Everything is a choice. The trick is making the choices that support our vision of who we want to be. All it takes is practice and awareness.
9. Don't watch movies with actors. They ruin everything.
10. There is never a good time to talk about death and wills and that sort of thing but if you're in a position to inherit or become the trustee of an estate, try your hardest to talk to that person before they go senile or comatose or just die because once they do, you'll find other people will step in to offer their help, advice, demands, pleas, etc. and the more you know ahead of time, the easier it will be to take action.

12. Why did all of that name calling and teasing hurt my feelings so much when I was a kid? Who the hell cares what random people have to say to you? It's just to get a reaction. I always took it as the truth, some deep insight a stranger magically had about my psyche. Why? I dunno. Sometimes you just have to accept that you can't be everyone's friend and be loved by everyone just for being you... and it hurts in a way but it's ok. You get used to it.
13. The hardest thing in life is probably taking the high moral ground- being a good person. But that's not the hard part. The trick is being a good person about being a good person. It's actually quite easy to be good to others in order to impress someone. It's easy to be generous when you expect the same or more in return. It's easy to be gracious when you intend to hold it over the other person's head and use it as a comparison later on which will make you look superior to them. No, the trick is to be humble about being humble and kind about being kind. If you can master that, then you're really doing well in life.
14. If you've just read through this shaking your head in disagreement with each point, then my guess is that you spend a lot of time dwelling on all the exceptions to all the rules in life. I don't know what that gets you, but as long as it makes you happy, keep it up. Like Tyler Durden asks when he first meets Jack in 'Fight Club,' "And how's that working out for you?"
15. I used to think the big quest in life was to find the meaning of life. What is the meaning of this whole experience? What's the point? Now I think this question doesn't really lead anywhere... at least no where satisfying. The real question is "What makes life meaningful?" General questions aren't going to lead you to an answer that's going to have a real impact on you. The key is asking the questions that lead to a higher understanding of who you are and how you want to see things turn out.
16. If there was a generic purpose to life that applied to all people, I would hazard a guess and say that it is to develop our souls as much as possible. We can only do this through experience and reflecting on our experiences and the lessons others have for us.

"I will crush you with this car! I will punch a soda machine and steal a soda!"

"Chief, do you have another one of those headaches?"

• American Splendor (2003)
• A Mighty Wind (2003)
• Les Triplettes de Belleville (2003)
• Akrobatik "Remind My Soul"
• Devin the Dude "Doobie Ashtray"
• Saj Supreme "The Won" 12"
• Little Brother "The Listening" LP
• Maxtor 5000DV External Harddrive
• Leaked MF DOOM / Madlib "MadVillain" LP (Another one?)
• 2 Crude Dudes (Sega Genesis)
• Shrimpy and Paul and Friends by Marc Bell (Highwater Books)
• Kramer's Ergot #4 (Avodah Books)
• A-D East Coast Tour:
  Baltimore=>Philly=>NJ=>NY=>Boston
• Colored Growing Plastic Toys
• Pete Bagge's Alien Family Toys
• Watching much Get Smart (1965)
• Epileptic by David B. (L'Association)
• King Geedorah "Take Me to Your Leader" LP
• MXC - Most Extreme Elimination Challenge
• Sanyo ECD-T1443 Car MP3 CD Player
  (The first one broke. I returned it, and the second one works great.)
• My Anecdotal Life: A Memoir by Carl Reiner (St. Martin's Press)
• Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem (Vintage Books)