My Top 10 Favorite Films: 2000-2009...

(in order)

1. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)



2. Donnie Darko (2001)



3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)



4. Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 (2003 & 2004)



5. No Country For Old Men (2007)



6. There Will Be Blood (2007)



7. Vanilla Sky (2001)



8. Synecdoche, New York (2008)



9. Adaptation (2002)



10. The Virgin Suicides (2000)

Old Music (Still Good Music) INXS - "Mediate"...

An underrated homage to Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues". Decades later, that sax solo still hits me right in the chest.

Top 5 Best MLB Teams: 2000-2009...

(in order)

1. New York Yankees



World Series Titles: 2000, 2009
Pennants: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2009
Division Titles: 2000-2006, 2009
Wild Card Berths: 2007

2. Boston Red Sox



World Series Titles: 2004, 2007
Pennants: 2004, 2007
Division Titles: 2007
Wild Card Berths: 2003-2005, 2008, 2009

3. St. Louis Cardinals



World Series Titles: 2006
Pennants: 2004, 2006
Division Titles: 2000-2002, 2004-2006, 2009
Wild Card Berths: 2001

4. Philadelphia Phillies



World Series Titles: 2008
Pennants: 2008, 2009
Division Titles: 2007-2009
Wild Card Berths: N/A

5. Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels



World Series Titles: 2002
Pennants: 2002
Division Titles: 2004, 2005, 2007-2009
Wild Card Berths: 2002

Top 5 Worst MLB Teams: 2000-2009...

(in order)

1. The Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals





2. Pittsburgh Pirates



3. Balitmore Orioles



4. Kansas City Royals



5. Toronto Blue Jays

25 Years Ago Today: Phil Collins releases "No Jacket Required"...

'No Jacket Required' is the third solo album by English singer-songwriter Phil Collins, released on January 25th, 1985. The album was named after an incident at The Pump Room in Chicago, where Collins was denied admittance to the establishment because of his attire. 'No Jacket Required' features guest vocalists, including Peter Gabriel and Sting. Some of the songs, like "Don't Lose My Number" and "Sussudio", were based on improvisation. Other songs, like "Long Long Way to Go", had a political message. "One More Night", "Sussudio", "Don't Lose My Number", and "Take Me Home" were released as singles, with corresponding music videos.

The album was positively received and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1985. Stephen Holden of The New York Times said that Collins was "quietly revolutionizing and expanding the role of the drums in pop record making". Rolling Stone reviewer David Fricke said that the album, "Like his '81 and '82 outings, Face Value and Hello ... I Must Be Going!, 'No Jacket Required' is not an album that waits to be liked". Collins' most commercially successful album, 'No Jacket Required' went to number one in several countries, including the United States, where it was at the top of the charts for seven weeks, United Kingdom and Canada. The record has been certified diamond in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Suggested listening:

5 Years Ago Today: M83 releases "Before the Dawn Heals Us"...

'Before the Dawn Heals Us' is the third studio album by the French electronic/dream pop group M83, released in January 2005 to positive reviews. The album was released on the Gooom label in Europe and on the Mute label in the United States. It was the first album from M83 following the departure of founding member Nicolas Fromageau. 'Before the Dawn Heals Us' was also chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005.

Suggested listening:

Top 5 Songs I'm Currently Listening To...

1. The Avett Brothers - "I and Love and You"
2. Memoryhouse - "To The Lighthouse (Millionyoung Remix)"
3. The Cure - "Just Like Heaven"
4. Active Child - "Wilderness"
5. Lou Reed - "Caroline Says II"

5 Records You Probably Don't Own but Should, Vol. 5...

1. Sunny Day Real Estate - "Live" (1999)



Serving as a greatest hits collection, Sunny Day never sounded better than right here.

2. Ice Cube - "Death Certificate" (1991)



My 2nd favorite rap album of all-time. Ice Cube had a few things on his mind...and America was going to hear about them...at length.

3. Talking Heads - "Fear of Music" (1979)



The Talking Heads are not capable of being underrated, but as far as being shelved over the years...this one is by far their most overlooked work.

4. Ugly Casanova - "Sharpen Your Teeth" (2002)



Serving as a side project for Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock, Ugly Casanova was a full expansion upon the freakier/folkier organic sound often layered upon in the Modest Mouse albums.

5. 764-HERO - "Weekends of Sound" (2000)



Hailing from the land of Seattle, WA... 764-HERO sustained those final heartbeats of the "Grunge" era well into Y2K with an album that is rich in the original feel of that Northwest music scene of the early 90's.

Top 5 NFL Teams: 2000-2009...

(in order)

1. New England Patriots



Super Bowl Champions: 2001, 2003, 2004
Super Bowl Appearances: 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007
Division Champions: 2001, 2003-2007, 2009
Playoff Appearances: 2001, 2003-2007, 2009
Best season of the decade: 2007, 16-0

2. Pittsburgh Steelers



Super Bowl Champions: 2005, 2008
Super Bowl Appearances: 2005, 2008
Division Champions: 2001-2002, 2004, 2007, 2008
Playoff Appearances: 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008
Best season of the decade: 2004, 15-1

3. Indianapolis Colts



Super Bowl Champions: 2006
Super Bowl Appearances: 2006
Division Champions: 2003-2007, 2009
Playoff Appearances: 2000, 2002-2009
Best season of the decade: 2005 & 2009, 14-2

4. New York Giants



Super Bowl Champions: 2007
Super Bowl Appearances: 2000, 2007
Division Champions: 2000, 2005, 2008
Playoff Appearances: 2000, 2002, 2005-2008
Best season of the decade: 2000 & 2008, 12-4

5. Philadelphia Eagles



Super Bowl Champions: N/A
Super Bowl Appearances: 2004
Division Champions: 2001-2004, 2006
Playoff Appearances: 2000-2004, 2006, 2008-2009
Best season of the decade: 2004, 13-3

Top 5 Worst NFL Teams: 2000-2009...

Time to look back at the five worst teams of the 00-09 era...

(in order)

1. Detroit Lions



Last playoff apperance: 1999
Worst season of the decade: 2008, 0-16

2. Buffalo Bills



Last playoff apperance: 1999
Worst season of the decade: 2001, 3-13

3. Cleveland Browns



Last playoff apperance: 2002
Worst season of the decade: 2000, 3-13

4. Kansas City Chiefs



Last playoff apperance: 2006
Worst season of the decade: 2008 & 2009, 2-14

5. Oakland Raiders



Last playoff apperance: 2002
Worst season of the decade: 2006, 2-14

My Top 5 Favorite Coen Brothers Films...

Joel David Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen, known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers. For more than twenty years, the pair have written and directed numerous successful films, ranging from screwball comedies (O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy) to hardboiled thrillers (Miller's Crossing, Blood Simple, The Man Who Wasn't There, No Country for Old Men), to movies where genres blur together (Barton Fink, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Burn After Reading, and A Serious Man).

The brothers write, direct and produce their films jointly, although until recently Joel received sole credit for directing and Ethan for producing. They often alternate top billing for their screenplays while sharing film credits for editor under the alias Roderick Jaynes. They are known in the film business as "the two-headed director", as they share a similar vision of their films. It is said that actors can approach either brother with a question and get the same answer.

(in order)

1. Raising Arizona (1987)



2. Fargo (1996)



3. No Country For Old Men (2007)



4. The Big Lebowski (1998)



5. Barton Fink (1991)