Tag: 2012

Favorite improvements of 2012

~ Mark

In addition to my previous posts on movies, books, and music, I’ll mention some things that made my life better last year, in some way or another. I’m dividing it here into two parts: things I bought, and decisions I made.

Products

  • Amazon Prime. Wonderful. Love it. I get another source for movies, and I get stuff I don’t always need, more quickly. This is why we made civilization.
  • A grapefruit spoon. Great example of having the right tool for the job. When you need both cutting and scooping power. An incredibly thoughtful gift from a friend who listens well.
  • A drain snake. There is no reason, in this day and age, in a nation of great prosperity, to suffer through domestic life with a slow or clogged drain. (I think I have a thing about drains. The sink strainers I bought a couple years ago still deliver me daily joy.)
  • A shoehorn. I hate when my shoes get the crumpled heel counter. And it feels nice. Hard to explain, it just feels proper and kinda smug, which is great way to start the day.
  • Better sound. The small, relatively inexpensive upgrades for my amplifier, headphones, and earbuds have made all the difference. Louder sound, cleaner sound, less background noise. And I don’t even think I’m much of an audiophile (……….yet?).
  • Ghostery is a great way to fight the Man, and an easy, at-a-glance way to roughly gauge which sites are more bullshitty than others.
  • Embracing a uniform, sorta. My favorite thing to wear is a grey t-shirt and jeans. Or grey t-shirts and pants. Or a grey sweatshirt. Or a blue or white button-up. Or some combination of the above. Boring. Predictable. Stockpile the good stuff and phase out the rest!
  • Art. I ripped a bunch of things out of art books to frame, but I also bought a kick-ass print to hang by my desk and had a friend make me a painting that sits in the bedroom.

Decisions

  • I resigned from my job at HowStuffWorks. I had a good run, but it was probably past time. (4.5 years! Dang, y’all.)
  • I started a new job at SimplePart. Awesome startup I was super-stoked to join.
  • I resigned from that new job at SimplePart. Awesome company, but the wrong fit, it turns out. No hard feelings on either side. They’re gonna make piles of money.
  • Taking my time to figure it out. I’m lucky I’ve been a disciplined miser since college, which gives me the chance to leap into the great unemployed unknown every now and then (and go hiking). This whole discernment process has been exhausting/exciting/stressful/fun, depending on the day/week/minute. Who knows what’s next?
  • I started going to therapy. There is nothing quite like it. Everyone I’ve mentioned it to has been supportive and/or jealous. Not to claim that I’ve made huge strides as a human being, but I can’t think of anyone who would not benefit from setting aside some time (and money, yeah) for thoughtful conversation focused on yourself.
  • I called my family more often. This isn’t saying much, but it’s a step in the right direction for sure.

Here’s to another year of small improvements and big ones.

Favorite movies of 2012

~ Mark

I watched more movies in 2012 than any other year of my life, by far (132). I should have taken up cinephilia years and years ago. Although, um, I maybe should tone it down a bit?

Some of the high points this year came from diving deep into Michael Mann, Steven Soderbergh, and yeah, Ben Affleck, along with re-watching a good collection of old favorites. Below are some new-to-me movies that I loved in 2012. I looked at my diary on Letterboxd, and listed the movies that I gave either 4.5 or 5 stars. All the links go to my own reviews:

  • Heat (watched 3x!) “Yeah, this is definitely going on my list of movies that are 1) more than 2.5 hours long, and 2) worth watching 3x or more.”
  • Lawrence of Arabia. “David Lean? This, Doctor Zhivago, and Brief Encounter? There’s a resume for you.”
  • Beasts of the Southern Wild. “Best soundtrack of the year so far? I might have cried twice.”
  • The New World. “You’re forced to set aside Disney memories and whatever historical précis you’ve got leftover from school.”
  • The Iron Giant. “The greatest anti-war film ever made.”
  • Certified Copy. “The surprises depend on you coming to a conclusion, one way or another, and the way the movie unfolds, you have to question what you come up with.”
  • Take Shelter. “Often when I see extreme psychological issues on screen it feels like an excuse for spectacle, it’s motive, it’s entertainment. Michael Shannon’s paranoia just breaks him.”
  • Warrior (2x!) “Some plot points are about subtle as a kick to the head, but the power is there, too.”
  • Midnight in Paris. “I love our hero’s giddy, can’t-believe-his-luck enthusiasm. This might be my favorite Owen Wilson performance ever.”
  • The Night of the Hunter. “Some things aren’t right in this neighborhood. Perfect horror.”
  • Thief. “I also like that this thief isn’t an MI-style sneaky ninja techno-athlete or some kind of capoeira breakdancer. He’s an old man. He’s got a limp. He wants to have a wife and kid.”

And what the hell, here are the 4-star movies from 2012. It’s a thin line:

Favorite books of 2012

~ Mark

Like my year in music, my reading was also a little down this year, especially over late summer and fall. I think I did pretty well on fiction this time around, though. I’ll stick to a couple picks for each month:

January
Extra Lives. Why video games are awesome and why they make you feel guilty and ashamed. And more! (reviewed)

Runner-up: The Art of Fielding. A tale of baseball and friendship that’s much, much better than it sounds. (reviewed)

February
Steal Like an Artist. Obviously. But you don’t have to take my word for it.

Runner-up: Hark! A Vagrant. I wish this was my high school history textbook.

March
Distrust That Particular Flavor. Twenty years of work from a great mind. I tumbled a bunch of quotes.

Runner-up: Dreamtigers. Only giving this one second place because I’ve read some of the stories before. Borges is still a champ.

April
The Gift of Fear. A fascinating look at the psychology of trust. (reviewed)

Runner-up: Philosophy Bites, for thoughtful variety that, like the podcast of the same name, doesn’t waste your time.

May
Religion for Atheists, for its thoughtful, inquisitive look at something many of us are already decided about. One of my favorites this year. (reviewed)

Runner-up: Macbeth, for being short and sweeping and brilliant. (tumbled)

Second runner-up: Mindless Eating, for its friendly, simple, super-practical approach to habits you might want to change. (reviewed)

June
{sound of crickets}

July
An Economist Gets Lunch, for Tyler Cowen’s typically counter-intuitive, omnivorous openness to experience. I’m a huge fan.

Runner-up: Imaginary Magnitude. A collection of introductions to fictional books covering, among other things, x-ray pornograms, computer-generated literature, and a biography of a sentient, moody super-computer. If you like the Borges above, or Borges in general, or strange science fiction, or strange conceptual writing in general, this is absolutely a book for you.

August, September, October
{embarrassed silence}

November
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. This is tied with The Art of Fielding for the “How did he make that book so page-turnable?” award. A light, bright, fun adventure. Robin Sloan is next-level.

December
A Visit from the Goon Squad. Growing up in a music-heavy world. I like that every chapter has a different voice, perspective, and structure.

Runner-up: The First Four Notes, for its wide-ranging history of philosophy and aesthetics that uses Beethoven’s music as the pivot point.

Favorite albums of 2012

~ Mark

My music listening was way down this year. I blame it on all the movies and starting a new job. The end result is that my best picks here probably aren’t quite as strong as they were in 2008, 2009, 2010, or 2011. But still, some good stuff. As in previous years, the vast majority of this came before 2012, but this was the year I paid attention.

January

Mariah Carey Greatest HitsGreatest Hits – Mariah Carey. This album saw me through the end of a hard winter. So much goodness. I don’t know if I’ll ever dive into one of her full albums… but some of these peaks are so high I may reconsider. Emotions!

Return to the Winners Circle – Curren$y. If I needed to, I could rank this solely on the strength of Moon & Stars Remix. Rare that the headliner and two guest rappers all just destroy their verses. And I love that backbeat.

The Soul Tape – Fabolous. I like Pain (“An old head told me, let nothing disturb your business / Beef is only good when you in the burger business”) and In the Morning.

February

Da ChipDa Chip Vol. 1 & 2 was a fun listen, but probably works best if you’re already familiar with Daft Punk, right?

March

Senor Coconut, El Baile Aleman

Sometimes you don’t realize it, but what your life is missing is an awesome collection of Kraftwerk tunes covered with a Latin/lounge feel. Thankfully my buddy John knew what I needed to hear: El Baile Alemán from Señor Coconut y Su Conjunto. For all the campiness, there’s some smart, creative arrangements here. Neon Lights and Showroom Dummies are good examples.

Fuck a Mixtape – T.I.. I don’t loooove the whole album, but worthy of mention: No Competition is my JAM.

Big Bach Set. It’s a great bargain. The Mass in B minor is a big draw, but besides that, the Adagio from the Concerto for Two Harpsichords in C minor, BWV 1060 really stood out. Pizzicato in stereo is so wonderful on headphones.

April

Young Jeezy, Come Shop Wit Me

My best music month overall.

Come Shop Wit Me – Young Jeezy. I’m 9 years late, but it’s album of the year for me. My faves from Jeezy’s second are: Let Me Hit Dat (love those reverb guitars and the overactive bass; Fi Chief & Big Dank kill it), Take It to the Floor (pump-up/act-like-I’m-someone-I’m-not song), Come Shop Wit Me (fun storytelling, and the overdriven bass line reminds me of a late ‘80s video game), Thug Ya (steel drums!), and Bananas (fat, dopey bass, and something about his voice in the verses here: looser, goofier, unhinged).

Way Down Low from my friend Kat Edmonson. Listen to “Hopelessly Blue”. I mean, geez. Incredible voice.

Blue Afternoon. You’d figure I’d catch on to Tim Buckley sooner, having spent college obsessing over his son’s music. You’d figure wrong. Listen to Happy Time and Blue Melody. He’s got a wonderful back-up band. The whole gang is so loose. And look at that album cover!

And I can’t forget Françoise Hardy’s Soleil. I don’t understand any of it, but the mood is right. My favorite track is Je fais des puzzles.

May

Beach House, BloomBloom – Beach House. It’s a lot like the previous three, which is totally fine by me. (I think only Bach and Camera Obscura beat them in my music archive for comfy, catchy, beloved predictability.) Myth is an obvious stand-out, but I think the verses on New Year are kinda genius. Same for Wild.

Shortly after that album came out, I caught Beach House on tour again. On the drive back from Athens, a friend introduced me to Bad Vibes by Shlohmo. Drippy, druggy lullabies. Places and Seriously are favorites.

June
I got nothin’.

July

My Bloody Valentine, LovelessLoveless – My Bloody Valentine. Woah. Slept on this one but the Grantland article woke me up. I was so proud of myself when I recognized the Loomer/Optimistic resemblance.

August

Tangerine Dream, Thief

A great month for radio in the car!

Kaleidoscope Dream – Miguel. Adorn has gotten crazy playtime in Atlanta. That bass is perfect for your car. And I love how the harmony is a little suppressed, so that voice and the bass do all the driving.

Trilla – Rick Ross. My friend Katie and I were driving to one of my favorite places to eat too much, if I recall correctly. I heard the opening sample from my favorite Stevie Wonder album in Here I Am and I was sold. I made her Shazam it for future reference.

To round out the group: Channel Orange – Frank Ocean. WRAS 88.5 FM played Pyramids while I was driving over to another friend named John’s house and I lost it. I *had* to call in and find out what it was. You can’t beat that feeling.

I didn’t hear it on the radio, but I can’t forget the Thief soundtrack by Tangerine Dream. Probably best if you’ve seen the awesome movie, but it’s great for working on secret projects.

September
{crickets}

October
I didn’t bother with the whole album, but Clique from Cruel Summer is dope. Perfect beat, but the song doesn’t really take flight until Jay-Z gets on the mic (that jet engine glissando helps). Kanye takes lovable insufferability to a new level.

November

Toru Takemitsu, Asterism, Requiem, Green, Dorian HorizonAsterism/Requiem/Green/The Dorian Horizon – Toru Takemitsu. I really like it, but only recommended if you’ve got ears for late 20th-century orchestral music…

December
It’s not too late for your suggestions!

Favorite albums of 2012

Favorite albums of 2012

~ Mark ~ Leave a comment

My music listening was way down this year. I blame it on all the movies and starting a new job. The end result is that my best picks here probably aren’t quite as strong as they were in 2008, 2009, 2010, or 2011. But still, some good stuff. As in previous years, the vast majority of this came before 2012, but this was the year I paid attention.
January

Mariah Carey Greatest Hits

Greatest Hits – Mariah Carey. This album saw me through the end of a hard winter. So much goodness. I don’t know if I’ll ever dive into one of her full albums… but some of these peaks are so high I may reconsider. Emotions!

Return to the Winners Circle – Curren$y. If I needed to, I could rank this solely on the strength of Moon & Stars Remix. Rare that the headliner and two guest rappers all just destroy their verses. And I love that backbeat.

The Soul Tape – Fabolous. I like Pain (“An old head told me, let nothing disturb your business / Beef is only good when you in the burger business”) and In the Morning.

February

Da Chip

Da Chip Vol. 1 & 2 was a fun listen, but probably works best if you’re already familiar with Daft Punk, right?

March

Senor Coconut, El Baile Aleman

Sometimes you don’t realize it, but what your life is missing is an awesome collection of Kraftwerk tunes covered with a Latin/lounge feel. Thankfully my buddy John knew what I needed to hear: El Baile Alemán from Señor Coconut y Su Conjunto. For all the campiness, there’s some smart, creative arrangements here. Neon Lights and Showroom Dummies are good examples.

Fuck a Mixtape – T.I.. I don’t loooove the whole album, but worthy of mention: No Competition is my JAM.

Big Bach Set. It’s a great bargain. The Mass in B minor is a big draw, but besides that, the Adagio from the Concerto for Two Harpsichords in C minor, BWV 1060 really stood out. Pizzicato in stereo is so wonderful on headphones.

April

Young Jeezy, Come Shop Wit Me

My best music month overall.

Come Shop Wit Me – Young Jeezy. I’m 9 years late, but it’s album of the year for me. My faves from Jeezy’s second are: Let Me Hit Dat (love those reverb guitars and the overactive bass; Fi Chief & Big Dank kill it), Take It to the Floor (pump-up/act like I’m someone I’m not song), Come Shop Wit Me (fun storytelling, and the overdriven bass line reminds me of a late ’80s video game), Thug Ya (steel drums!), and Bananas (fat, dopey bass, and something about his voice in the verses here: looser, goofier, unhinged).

Way Down Low from my friend Kat Edmonson. Listen to “Hopelessly Blue”. I mean, geez. Incredible voice.

Blue Afternoon. You’d figure I’d catch on to Tim Buckley sooner, having spent college obsessing over his son’s music. You’d figure wrong. Listen to Happy Time and Blue Melody. He’s got a wonderful back-up band. The whole gang is so loose. And look at that album cover!

And I can’t forget Françoise Hardy’s Soleil. I don’t understand any of it, but the mood is right. My favorite track is Je fais des puzzles.

May

Beach House, Bloom

Bloom – Beach House. It’s a lot like the previous three, which is totally fine by me. (I think only Bach and Camera Obscura beats them in my music archive for comfy, catchy, beloved predictability.) Myth is an obvious stand-out, but I think the verses on New Year are kinda genius. Same for Wild.

Shortly after that album came out, I caught Beach House on tour again. On the drive back from Athens, a friend introduced me to Bad Vibes by Shlohmo. Drippy, druggy lullabies. Places and Seriously are favorites.

June
I got nothin’.

July

My Bloody Valentine, Loveless

Loveless – My Bloody Valentine. Woah. Slept on this one but the Grantland article woke me up. I was so proud of myself when I recognized the Loomer/Optimistic resemblance.

August

Tangerine Dream, Thief

A great month for radio in the car!

Kaleidoscope Dream – Miguel. Adorn has gotten crazy playtime in Atlanta. That bass is perfect for your car. And I love how the harmony is a little suppressed, so that voice and the bass do all the driving.

Trilla – Rick Ross. My friend Katie and I were driving to one of my favorite places to eat too much, if I recall correctly. I heard the opening sample from my favorite Stevie Wonder album in Here I Am and I was sold. I made her Shazam it for future reference.

To round out the group: Channel Orange – Frank Ocean. WRAS 88.5 FM played Pyramids while I was driving over to another friend named John‘s house and I lost it. I *had* to call in and find out what it was. You can’t beat that feeling.

I didn’t hear it on the radio, but I can’t forget the Thief soundtrack by Tangerine Dream. Probably best if you’ve seen the awesome movie, but it’s great for working on secret projects.

September
{crickets}

October
I didn’t bother with the whole album, but Clique from Cruel Summer is dope. Perfect beat, but the song doesn’t really take flight until Jay-Z gets on the mic (that jet engine glissando helps). Kanye takes lovable insufferability to a new level.

November

Toru Takemitsu, Asterism, Requiem, Green, Dorian Horizon

Asterism/Requiem/Green/The Dorian Horizon – Toru Takemitsu. I really like it, but only recommended if you’ve got ears for late 20th-century orchestral music…

December
It’s not too late for your suggestions!