The Next Big MTV Thing

I can't wait.

Steve, This Post's for You

I hope to see one of your scripts show up here. Just kidding.

My Last Post

On the snarkiness and negativity I put forth towards the hipster t-shirts in my last post...I only sort of mean it.

I really want one of these.

UPDATE: And today, this from Chris Muir.

The Manolo, he is so everywhere.

The Real Revolution

All this talk about blogs and bloggers, etc, etc as they relate to the democratizing power of the internet has callously ignored a really important player. An entity so powerful it feeds thousands of fledgling hipsters needs on a daily basis (not to mention wannabe political stars, family reunion planners and middle-aged ladies who like cats and work in accounting everywhere). Even though it's linked to all over the place and must have crazy high traffic, you probably can't even guess what I'm talking about because it gets no ink anywhere.

No more suspense: I'm talking about cafepress.com. And I'm being totally serious. Steve sent me a link to this cruel yet funny web site and I followed the "store" link to a cafepress page. Looking at the merch, I felt the warm sense of the familiar. I'd seen these coffee mugs, these baby tees, these thongs before. Never before with cute little bunny logos, but with random political sayings, with cheesy "I'm #1!" style successories, and with countless pseudo-ironic phrases that make all five people who buy those products feel oh-so-hip.

How huge is it that anyone with internet access can so easily create and sell their own merchandise? Pretty huge. Not predicting that the fashion industry will crumble or anything, but seriously, now that seventh avenue no longer has a corner on the whole hip-t-shirt market, we're looking at a whole new America. Well, you know what I mean.

UPDATE: This post kind of reads like rambling to me now (9:30 am Friday). What I meant to say is that in a consumer culture, like the one we live in, control of the marketplace of goods, not just information, is really powerful. That is all.

Six Days

That's how long I waited to call back pretty much every guy I met in the late 90s. So did everyone I knew. Thank you, Swingers.

Flash forward to 2005. Swingers, apparently, is still hot. I've been meaning to post about this for a few weeks now: one of the more recent MasterCard "priceless" spots (which have SO jumped the shark, though they used to be, well, priceless) is a not-so-veiled imitation of the scene when Mikey leaves a trillion messages for the girl, Nikki, he meets in a bar.

Every time I watch the ad, it makes me angry. I like McCann Erickson (the agency behind this travesty.) I visited their Edinburgh office a few years ago - it was cool and the people were smart. I used to like the "priceless" spots. They were so viral when viral was hot. But this...it's not even a really good imitation. I wouldn't call it flattery.

So today I decide to post my outrage. While searching for a link to the ad, I found this. My first reaction was, damn, somebody wrote about this before I did. Then I read down the page and realized that some enterprising internester actually emailed MasterCard to ask if the spot was an intentional homage (and yes, homage is a very strong word.)

Turns out, it was. Totally sanctioned by the Swingers crew. They even asked John Favreau to direct the spot, but he was too busy.

That news actually made me more angry. Swingers is a good movie, iconic in it's own way. It helped define my early 20s. This ad sucks. If you're going to honor something, do it right. At least make it obvious that you're not just haplessly latching onto coattails.

Ugh. Advertising is NOT that hard, people. Seriously.

My Blog Envy, Deconstructed

This Richard Lawrence Cohen post and attached comments (which get a little literary for me) connect to something I've been thinking about for the past few days. Cohen talks about the possibility of fiction fading into oblivion as blogs gain in influence and what that means for his career, writing in general, publishing and a whole bunch of other things.

As with most other things, reading this made me think about myself. Over the past two or three weeks, I've noticed that my blog envy has shifted from the entertaining political-ish bloggers (Althouse, Galley Slaves) to the funny pop culture bloggers (whatevs.org, lindsayism). I've even been daydreaming about meeting Jessica Coen. (Not as weird as it sounds. In high school I used to day dream about getting good scores on my AP tests. I just don't have very cool or interesting aspirations.)

It's not so weird to me that I have all of these blog crushes, or that my allegiance switches from blog genre to genre so quickly. What's interesting is that I haven't had a single authorly crush in months. Not so long ago, I was blogging regularly about books I read, styles I'd like to emulate, books I'd like to write.

I haven't even thought about writing anything much longer than a blog post in at least six weeks.

I'm torn between feeling disappointed in myself (where have my writerly dreams gone? how will I ever live the leisurely life of the writer if I don't write things that make me money?) and just being pleased with myself for writing anything at all.

Most likely, I'm just going through a phase. I do hope that one day, some type of desire to see my name in hard copy print rekindles itself. Until then, I guess I'll have to settle for obsessive jealousy of other bloggers rather than for "real writers."

Why I Like Lileks

(here's today's link, which is such a good example of all the reasons why I like him)

- He loves his daughter without being obsessed with her (so many parents can't see past their kids to their own lives. What kind of adult do those kids become?)
- He makes sweeping observations about life and the universe then, using the same tone, makes not so sweeping observations about much less grand occasions, like the Michael Jackson trial
- His schedule reminds me of mine, which gives me hope for when I have a kid (he is more productive than I am, but still gets up late)
- His Midwesterness is endearing and not overly earnest
- He just seems so nice and smart

The Question Is

Will the players be as adorably cocky and mean in their tiny, pixelated form?

I just can't resist them.

My Education

My undergrad degree - international relations - was a mix of history, government and economics, with a little bit if cultural stuff and languages thrown in. As I've mentioned here before, the early to mid-90s were an interesting time to be an IR major. My first IR textbook was published post-wall coming down, but just barely, and it still referred to the geopolitical system in terms of three "worlds". At the time, it felt like the most interesting major ever because the topic was just so fluid.

In hindsight, though, the topic wasn't actually all that fluid - at least it wasn't taught that way. There was a clear distinction between my government classes and my history classes and in my government classes, some institutions were presumed permanent, like NATO and the UN.

The scandals unfolding at the UN over the past few months/years have already shaken my already only theoretical belief in that organization. But NATO? It's only a symbolic partnership anyway, right? I mean, pretty much. So why does this Mark Steyn article make me both a little bit sad and a little concerned that everything I learned in college was wrong?

I guess I think he's probably right.

At least I'll always have art history. The relationship between art and sociopolitical culture in 1920s France can't change at this point, right?

UPDATE: I should clarify...when I was actually in college, I didn't believe that NATO was a purely symbolic organization. I thought the UN could actually get some good done, too. Mostly, I honestly believed that if Article 5 was ever invoked (though my world view didn't lead me to think that would ever, ever happen), all of the members of NATO would step up to fulfill their moral obligation. Yes, I was very naive.

My Priorities

...clearly don't lie with regularly updating this blog (not to mention the SP gossip blog, which has died an untimely death. I know there was a time once when I juggled a real job and school...I'm just not sure how I had time to eat in those days.)

Anyway, my priorities. I was pretty much completely out of touch with pop culture and politics this entire weekend (though I did come close to drunk-blogging a party at my brother's house on Sat night - right now I couldn't be happier that his roommate's laptop was password-protected). And all day yesterday I was really busy (with the real work) so I didn't have much time to spend with my blogroll.

But I did read enough yesterday to hear about Hunter S. Thompson's suicide and Glenn Reynold's wife's surgery. But I didn't hear about this whole Paris Hilton business until this morning.

And, you know, I'm kind of proud of myself for that. OK, the pride came after a wave of feeling left out for 36 hours, but still...look how grown up and serious my interests are!

More Obsessed than I Am

I didn't think it was possible, but this web site proves that there are people out there who like Law & Order more than I do. Maybe even a lot more.

I particularly like "Anamorphic Orbach" and "A Night Away". But I didn't like "Order Seeps Inward" at all - just because Fred Thompson's a Republican...

Also interesting to see who gets the most mentions - McCoy and Briscoe clearly have the hearts and minds of these artists. It's also interesting to see how the artists refer to the characters/actors. Briscoe is sometimes Briscoe, sometimes Orbach, sometimes full names. Same for McCoy. But Dianne Wiest - does anyone even know the name of her character on the show?

Thematic Posts

I'm pretty sure there's a connection between my post about the McSweeney's article (which is ALL OVER the internet today) and the one I just wrote about gym clothes and iPods and Best in Show. I think it has something to do with human need to belong and how that translates in a marketing-driven, capitalist culture.

If I tried really hard, I could probably even tie it into The Gates, Christo's happy saffron installation in Central Park (which I think is totally cool because I'm into Christo). Collective experience potentially replacing the need for identity through material goods?

Fortunately for the readers, I'm probably too lazy and will be too busy over the next three days to really think these ideas through. So you can do your pretentious musing on your own...

The Brand Called Kit

During the late 90s, I was pretty obsessed with all things Fast Company and especially reverent of Tom Peters who, among other things, wrote a book called The Brand You and spoke about developing a personal/professional brand. All of these thoughts dovetailed nicely with my tendency to think about how my material belongings (and every word that came out my mouth) did or didn't accurately define my personality. As usual, my self-involvement is so, so apparent in retrospect.

This behavior came crashing down around me sometime in 2001 when my (formerly) Mac-using, BMW-driving self watched Best in Show. The second I saw Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock (the yuppies with the Busy Bee dog) tell the story of how they met...in Starbucks...with their Macs, I knew I had to stop. Just because I had a Mac did not make me Carrie Bradshaw and I'm still embarrassed that I ever thought it did.

But it took me back this morning when my brother emailed me that he'd been thinking about what he wore to the gym last night as a sort of autobiographical statement. He was wearing UVA Law shorts and a Bush/Cheney shirt...which clearly says "overpaid, pretentiously academic and conservative" (just kidding).

He's right, though, but only to a certain extent. Whether or not we live in a marketing-driven society, our material belongings tell part of our story. This is especially true for clothes and especially true for gym clothes. I go to a women's gym that, except for the obvious fact that it is all women, is a fairly diverse environment. And because we're all wearing our gym clothes, it is painfully easy to identify the former sorority girls, the young rich wives, the lesbians. Most of the time, it's clear just from the writing on the t-shirt (though the young rich wives don't wear t-shirts...they wear adorable coordinated outfits - and have great haircuts).

But that's as far as it goes. Just like my Mac laptop didn't make me Carrie Bradshaw and my brother's gym outfit doesn't make him Lillian BeVier, wearing a 1995 sorority t-shirt to my gym doesn't condemn me to a particular stereotype in itself.

I guess that's part of what I missed back in my "brand called Kit" days...the nuance. That the concept of "brand" doesn't have to be superficial and play to stereotype.

I need to think more about this, though. Because the Starbucks/Mac people mocked in Best in Show have totally reemerged as the cult of the iPod, yet somehow that's more acceptable? Not to say that I am anti-brand or have any ethical problems with the way Apple builds their brands - I think they're brilliant marketers and clearly back up their message with solid products. But still - it is so easy to lose the nuance.

Procrastinating

Instead of doing any real work, I've spent the past 30 minutes reading old posts on the former blog of the current Gawker editor, Jessica Coen. Reading what she wrote about Ashton and Demi's impending nuptuals back in October 2003 is pretty entertaining. Kind of like taking a class in the Recent History of Pop Culture. And, of course, leads me to all sorts of slightly more academic thoughts about the potential impact of blogs on the writing of history, etc.

Then again, I guess we've always had access to old newspapers and magazine articles...but microfiche is just so taxing. My college history papers would have so much been better if only I'd had the internet...

An Open Letter to Open Letters

I used to read McSweeneys religiously. Every single day for at least a year. And I did think that Dave Eggers was cool. Now, though, I don't even have it bookmarked and I have no idea where my copy of AHWOSG is. Which is fine.

I've noticed lately, though, that Wonkette and Gawker have been linking to McSweeneys a few times a week. Weird, right, because Nick Denton is so much cooler than Dave Eggers these days. So I thought this essay was interesting. My favorite part:

These days, I look at McSweeney's like I look at all those guys I was so
obsessed with who wouldn't give me the time of day. Just like the eco-feminism
books I enthusiastically read in my first year of college. It's not like I don't
know what the hell I was thinking. I know EXACTLY what I was thinking. That's
why I'm so embarrassed.

While I certainly didn't read any eco-feminism books in college (and never heard of Dave Eggers until well after college), I still feel the author's pain. I know EXACTLY what I was thinking for the nineties in their entirety and, well, I'm just glad they're over.

There's always a new Dave Eggers-type deity, though. These days, it probably is Nick Denton, with his cool, sarcastic blogging empire. And I totally read at least two of his blogs every day. I bet the author of that article does too. So maybe neither one of us should be so quick to think we're really over the McSweeneys crush. Just evolving.

List Mania II

Yesterday I had an extremely productive day, finishing up a project, meeting with my accountant, and getting my eyebrows done among other things. So when I got home in the afternoon, I felt like I'd deserved a few leisurely hours of blog-reading. And oh did I find some good stuff to read.

As I mentioned the other day, I'm a total sucker for lists. And yesterday I ran across two different lists of the "500 best songs ever" (here and here). Both were the result of multiple contributors and a lot of work on behalf of bloggers. While I don't have the attention span required to do that much work, I do like to sort through my old mix tapes (when I listen to a mix tape of mine, I have a bad habit of saying "I LOVE this song" every time a new song comes on. It's pretty annoying to be in the car with me at those times). So I decided to make a list of my own.

Without (much) further ado, here are the 80 songs I love the most (note: these are not necessarily the 80 songs I think are the "best ever" in terms of social and political importance - they are my favorite songs) (note 2: they are in the order in which I thought of them, which is slightly embarrassing, but I decided to keep it that way b/c it's natural and organic) (note 3: the list has 80 songs because that's when I started having a hard time thinking of songs - these are the songs that just popped into my head):

1. Me & Bobby McGee/Janis Joplin

This is my favorite song in the world...so it's not at all surprising that I thought of it first. I first remember hearing it in 10th grade - the chorus was in a film strip on the influence of rock music on 60s politics. I watched that movie in my modern European History class...which makes no sense, but I'm glad I did. After I heard it, I went home and found an original copy of Pearl in my parent's record collection (father's not mother's - my mom thinks Janis "screams" instead of singing). I liked the full song even better than the chorus. My favorite line has always been, "I'd trade all of my tomorrows for one single yesterday." Sigh. So sad.

2. Piece of My Heart/Janis Joplin

Loving this song followed shortly after Bobby McGee. It's just also that good.

3. Squeezebox/The Who

Hearing this song on the radio makes me incredibly happy. I have the CD and could listen to it whenever I want, but for some reason, when I just happen across it on the radio it makes it that much better.

4. I Can’t Explain/The Who

I've blogged about this song before: it is such a solid pop song. Much less full of subtext than most other Who songs, but so, so catchy.

5. Kiss/Prince

This reminds so much of the summer after I graduated from college. The Prince box set had just been released and my friend Alison and I used to listen to it all the time. It was one of those crazy, fun summers - just before I started taking any responsibility for anything in my life. So nice.

6. Even the Nights Are Better/Air Supply

When I was seven I listened to this song over and over again in my parents' living room, spinning around uncontrollobly. I'm sure they're glad now that they didn't have a CD player with a "repeat" button at the time.

7. Bizarre Love Triangle/New Order

I don't know why I like this song. I just always have. Weirdest place I ever heard it: at a wedding. It was the first song the DJ played. I thought it was kind of odd and inappropriate, but I went with it.

8. Suspicious Minds/Elvis

By far my favorite Elvis song and only made better by it's totally appropriate inclusion in Intolerable Cruelty.

9. Falling to Pieces/Faith No More

Faith No More was the first CD my brother ever owned (immediately followed by Bell Biv Devoe) and we listened to it a LOT. A few years ago, when I saw Black Hawk Down, I was happy to hear this song included in the background. It was such a good early 90s song.

10. Red Hill Mining Town/U2

U2 appears on this list more than any other artist...and it's interesting that the first U2 song I thought of was this one. Probably because of my friends' obsession with it in college. One of my favorite memories of the summer of 94 was of a party in College Park - everyone put in money for the keg and, to show that we paid, the guys who lived in the house wrote "RHMT" on our hands. That's obsessed.

11. All I Want Is You/U2

"Reality Bites" kind of ruined this song for me. But not entirely. In 1988, when I was in 8th grade, I got the Rattle & Hum tape for Christmas. I listened to this song every day for the next few years. SO good. I mean just Bono's voice. Again, sigh.

12. God Only Knows/Beach Boys

I'll admit, I might not have thought to put this song on the list if I hadn't read it on the other two lists I linked to at the top and if I hadn't just recently watched the extras on the "Love Actually" DVD and been reminded that this song closes the movie. It's on Pet Sounds, which my parents own on vinyl and Cooper and I bought in a very cliched move on our trip to California two years ago. Whenever I hear it, though, I kind of wish it was the first song we'd danced to at our wedding.

13. Where the Stars Go Blue/Bono & The Corrs

This was the first song we danced to at our wedding. Such a good wedding song. Very sweet...and have I mentioned how amazing Bono is?

14. Bittersweet/Big Head Todd

For some reason, I write better to this song (and the whole CD) than any other song/CD.

15. Cecelia/Simon & Garfunkel

Like Bobby McGee, I discovered this song in 10th grade. That must have been a really formative year for me, musically.

16. Tangled Up in Blue/Bob Dylan

I put this on a mix tape I made for my friend Suzanne right before she moved to San Francisco for med school. I made myself a copy of the tape, then listened to it so much that I wore through the tape within two years. It is a good song.

17. I Nearly Lost You/Screaming Trees

This is the only "grunge" song on the list...because I was never that into grunge (I mean, I did see Nirvana in concert literally a month before Kurt Cobain died, but I'm sorry to say I didn't really appreciate it). I like this song a lot, though. I remember listening to it the day my parents left me at school my freshman year in college. I was sitting on my bed, looking up at the high school pictures on my wall and I was very sad. That sort of sad that comes when you know everything's about to change, which is exciting, but you're also sure you're about to break up with your boyfriend, you just aren't sure why yet.

18. Crazy Love/Van Morrison

I have a thing for Van Morrison like I have for Bono. Especially this song.

19. Do You Realize?/Flaming Lips

Like I mentioned earlier this week, this song is made to be the last song on mix tapes. Or in VH-1 commercials. Either one.

20. Pride (In the Name of Love)/U2

Again, like I mentioned earlier this week, this song gives me goosebumps when I hear it because it's such a perfect song. Plus, oddly enough, my brother and I have both dated people born on April 4th (the day MLK, Jr. was shot). We never would've remembered their birthdays if it wasn't for this song. And yes, I know that's crass.

21. Three Strange Days/School of Fish

This is just a cool song that feels like it's always been in the background of my life. I couldn't tell you when it came out, except that I know it was sometime after 1985 and before 1995...

22. Stagger Lee/Fats Domino

"Is that Pudge?" "Heavens, no! Pudge is fat. She's pretty, she must be a first cousin."

One day I will learn how to shag.

23. Thunder Road/Bruce Springsteen

My college boyfriend used a quote from this song - the part about rolling down the window, etc. etc. - as his high school yearbook quote senior year. He also thought the line that said, "you aint a beauty but hey you're alright" was sexist and it offended him. That pretty much sums up why I liked him and why I broke up with him. God, he was liberal.

24. Night Moves/Bob Seger

When I hear this song, I imagine my brother on stage singing it (badly). I've never actually seen this happen, but I know it has happened more than once.

25. Paradise City/Guns-n-Roses

I struggled do decide which song off Appetite for Destruction to include on this list. They're all so good. Maybe I picked this one because it was also in "Can't Hardly Wait"...

26. American Girl/Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

"Silence of the Lambs" can't ruin this song for me, as hard as it tries. It's the song that reminds me most of myself, as self-involved as that is. For the record, I've had several other people tell me that it reminds them of me, as well. Specifically me in 1993, wearing white jean shorts, a blue and white checked shirt, and a big white bow in my hair. Hot.

27. You Can’t Always Get What You Want/Rolling Stones

In "High Fidelity" this song is stricken from a list of good songs to play at a funeral because of it's involvement with the Big Chill. I've never seen the Big Chill, so that doesn't bother me. So I like it anyway.

28. #1 Crush/Garbage

I heard this on the radio the other day and was reminded of how much I loved Baz Lurhmann's Romeo & Juliet and the mix tape I made right after seeing the movie (this song was the first song on side A). 1996 was a good year.

29. These Arms of Mine/Otis Redding

In general, I like Otis Redding a lot. This song is especially achey sounding...which is one of my favorite song qualities.

30. Beautiful Girl/INXS

I have been obsessed with INXS since seventh grade. The same Christmas I got Rattle & Hum, I got INXS Kick. I can't pick a favorite from that tape. But Beautiful Girl, from X, has a lot of the same qualities as Never Tear Us Apart. Oh how I wish Michael Hutchence hadn't died such an embarrassing death.

31. Santa Monica/Everclear

I don't like Everclear overall. I think Art whatever his last name is is kind of whiny and all their songs sound the same. But I love the song Santa Monica. It reminds me of springtime and the year I graduated from college - full of parties and fun and excitement about what was coming next. Plus, it's really catchy.

32. 1979/Smashing Pumpkins

You know, I don't really like the Smashing Pumpkins either. I know they're a "good band" but they just don't seem to enjoy playing music. But I do like this song - there's something about it that reminds me of winter and dressing up for parties and watching "Dazed and Confused." Random, yes.

33. Paul Revere/Beastie Boys

I learned all of the words to this song by staying up all night with my friends Emily and Katie at Amy Quinn's birthday party in sixth grade. That alone makes it a great song.

34. American Music/Violent Femmes

I have more than one memory of hearing this song while driving somewhere near the water in a convertible with the top down. I'd love any song tied to memories like those.

35. Tangerine/Led Zeppelin

Besides that this is just a beautiful and sad song, it reminds me of laying out at my parents beach during the last summer I didn't work - summer before 10th grade. I laid out for at least an hour a day and Tangerine was the last song on the mix tape I listened to most of the time. I was so tan that summer. And so, so relaxed.

36. Girlfriend/Matthew Sweet

My senior year in high school, there was a big blizzard and we had off school for almost a week. One night, toward the end of the week, all of my friends went to my friend Charles' house. We listened to this tape over and over again. And that night my high school boyfriend and I decided to get back together after a nine month hiatus. We broke up again three months later, then again five months after that, but that night was really good.

37. Brimful of Asha/Cornershop

This is one of the only songs on the list that doesn't actually remind me of anything. Maybe it reminds me, in general, of the time it came out, but I don't have a specific memory attached to it. So it's just that good.

38. The Joker/Steve Miller Band

I was sort of embarrassed to include this on the list - but it's such a good song in high school and I still listen to it if I hear it on the radio. Because it was such a good song in high school.

39. Tupelo Honey/Van Morrison

This was just after Tangled Up in Blue on that mix tape I wore through a few years ago. And did I mention how much I love Van Morrison?

40. Sweet Virginia/Rolling Stones

I lived with a girl named Virginia my senior year in college - I was sort of jealous that I didn't have a name that's in a cool song like this. And...it was ALSO on that tape I wore through back in 99...that was SUCH a good tape.

41. Backwater/Meat Puppets

Summer of 94, saw this song live at the WHFStival. Something about it...just reminds me of that summer (first summer home from college) and how fun it was and how I never wanted to go back to school. (of course I was happy I'd gone back one week into the semester)

42. Uncle John’s Band/Grateful Dead

Freshman year in college, I had a Christmas party in my room. When this song came on, everyone in the room stopped and sang together. Straight out of a teen movie. You can't even script that.

43. Supernova/Liz Phair

I don't have this on a CD or anything, but it just makes me happy to hear. I wish the new Liz Phair songs were this good.

44. Laid/James

I can't not smile when I think of this song. I just feel lucky that it came out when I was in early college. Those were the best years to have a song like this.

45. Debra/Beck

I wasn't sure which Beck song from Midnite Vultures to put on this list, but I knew one had to make it. I love that CD so much (and, next to Big Head Todd, it's my best writing CD). So I picked Debra because it's ridiculous and because I have such a clear memory of a huge cheesy bed emerging from above the stage when Beck sang this song when I saw him in concert in 99. That was a gooood concert.

46. It Takes Two/Rob Base & DJ Easy Rock

I'll admit, I never would have thought to put this song on the list if it hadn't been on the first two lists I read. But it is a solid song and reminds me so much of high school, particularly my friend Mark Stafford (I have a vivid image of him singing it, wasted, in the middle of this random field we used to go to to watch planes take off from the airport. I bet you can't even go to that field anymore, since 9/11).

47. To Be Young/Ryan Adams

I think of this as the "Old School Song". My sister put it on a CD she made me last year...it is super catchy and I identify with the people in Old School more than I'd like to admit.

48. Road Trip Song/The Eels

I don't know what this song is called, even though I have the CD. I think of it as "goddamn right it's a beautiful day" and it makes me want to drive with my windows down. Seriously, I can almost feel my endorphins rush when I hear it.

49. Ballad of John & Yoko/The Beatles

I really like a lot of Beatles songs, but something about this one - it must be how upbeat it is - has gotten it onto more of my mix tapes than any other.

50. Hey Jude/The Beatles

My last night in Scotland, I heard a cover band play this at the hotel bar of the nicest hotel in Edinburgh. I ended up literally swaying with my arms around the people I'd met on the trip (there were about 15 of us out that night) singing the song. It was very moving...since we'd been drinking for hours. It's that kind of song, though.

51. Don’t Stop Believin’/Journey

This song was NOT on any of the other lists and I can only assume that's a terrible oversight. How can't you love Steve Perry? How can't you play this on any jukebox that has it?

52. I Want It That Way/Backstreet Boys

Possibly the most perfect pop song ever. Possibly not. But definitely one of the best songs to come out of that late 90s boy band craze.

53. Sunshine of Your Love/Cream

This was on a lot of my high school mix tapes and somehow disappeared (I guess I needed more space for Backstreet Boys - what happened to my musical taste?).

54. Be My Baby/The Ronnettes

This song is on this list for two reasons: a) the Ronnettes "sample" in "Take Me Home Tonight"- which I used to always hear on my way home from my jazz dance class (I was thinking what?) in 6th grade and b) I just saw Carnie Wilson say this is her dad's (Brian Wilson) favorite song and that it was the first song they danced to at her wedding. How nice is that? And, I mean, the favorite song of a musical genius like BW is certainly good enough for me.

55. Miss Jackson/Outkast

I almost also included Hey Ya on this list, but didn't at the last minute. I don't think I need to go on and on about why Outkast is great, though. It's just obvious.

56. My Old School/Steely Dan

I don't really like Steely Dan much (and the single worst date I've ever been on involved a Steely Dan concert) but as a graduate of William & Mary, I feel obliged to include this song on this list. Just like I've included it on mix tapes. Just like I spent countless hours in Williamsburg singing the lyrics on the back porch of some fraternity...

57. Ray of Light/Madonna

I love Madonna. Ever since I got Like a Virgin from Misty Gargano as a 4th grade birthday present (my parents were NOT thrilled) I have thought she was super cool. And Ray of Light is a killer song. And video.

58. The Good Life/Weezer

This is a song I make people listen to when I'm drunk. And I sing. A lot. I'm really bad about that, actually - making people listen to songs I like when I've been drinking.

59. Walk on the Wild Side/Lou Reed

Another 10th grade discovery. I actually wish I knew a lot more about Lou Reed...

60. Like a Rolling Stone/Bob Dylan

One summer during college, my friend Jeremy got out of a speeding ticket (on his way to Ocean City) by explaining to the police officer that he was speeding because this song was on and it's just so good. State police, no less. It is a good song.

61. Thunderstruck/AC/DC

Besides how cute Angus Young is in his little shorts, this song is so adrenaline-pumping.

62. Last Night/Traveling Wilburys

When I first heard The Strokes' first CD, I kept thinking of this song. I used to love it and I still don't think its ever gotten enough radio play.

63. Baba O’Reilly/The Who

When I first started listening to The Who, this song made me feel young and powerful (even though I'm pretty sure that was never the intent). Now it makes me sort of sad...but I still love it.

64. Peace Frog/The Doors

I could've put a LOT of Doors songs on this list. I have read multiple bios of Jim Morrison. I've seen the Doors movie a million times. I have so many Doors tapes. I gave my friend Mandy a Jim Morrison poster for her 16th birthday (she put it above her bed). But Peace Frog is the song that stuck with me once the obsession wore off. It must be because, at my core, as much as I appreciate the rock star poet, I really like pop music and this is a pop song.

65. KRS-One/Sublime

I started liking this song because Cooper likes it...and I really wish it was longer.

66. Divine Thing/Soup Dragons

I don't know anyone else who likes this song as much as I do. In college, I always wanted to put it on a party mix, but never got it on one. It's so catchy - how can't everyone like it as much as I do?

67. Lose Yourself/Eminem

As I mentioned earlier this week, this song makes me feel like I've won a rap battle. I don't know any better feeling than that.

68. Werewolves of London/Warren Zevon

I don't actually know much about Warren Zevon's music, though I wish I knew more. This song's about the extent of my knowledge. And it is an amazing song.

69. Fortunate Son/CCR

This song's not on the list because of it's message. It's on the list because it was my favorite song on a particular mix tape made for me in 11th grade by my friend Rasim. It reminds me so much of the spring of 1992. Good times.

70. Danny’s Song/Anne Murray

And this song...reminds me of playing at my parents beach when I was little. As much as I rejected all things Anne Murray while growing up, it seems that some of it seeped into my subconcious. The other day, I heard this on the radio and stayed in my car until it was over.

71. Shoop/Salt-n-Pepa

Back in 98 or 99, I used to go to Philly occasionally to visit my friend Rasim, who was in a masters program at Drexel. One night, we went to a bar and I requested this song from the DJ. He told me it didn't have enough beats per minute to play, or something ridiculous like that. I told him to play it and everyone in the bar would dance (it was a small place - there were maybe 40 people there). So he relented and played it. And EVERY PERSON in the bar danced. I won.

72. Glycerine/Bush

a) Gavin Rossdale is so hot. b) Lines like "could not kiss just regress" were made for me to hear when I was in college and back and forth between my high school and college boyfriends. c) Gwen Stefani is so lucky.

73. Three Little Birds/Bob Marley

This song was on the very first mix tape I ever owned. It was the second song on the first side, just after the Who's "I Can See for Miles." The tape also had "D'yer Mak'er" on it. I think of all three of those songs in the same breath now, and love them all.

74. Love Rescue Me/U2

A week before I left for college for the first time, I was at my parents' beach, lifeguarding and entertaining about 10 of my friends (it was a pretty lax job). We were playing Rattle & Hum on someone's car stereo and when this song came on, everyone was quiet and I'm pretty sure at least one girl started to cry. So dramatic, but so typical of how high our emotions were running in those days.

75. Little Miss S./Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians

Edie Brickell was my first concert and this was my favorite song on her first tape. She didn't play it in concert, unfortunately, but I did come away with a very cool concert t-shirt with brightly colored bird cages all over it. Not to mention that Edie Brickell is a far cooler first concert to have seen than almost any of my friends' firsts.

76. Layla/Eric Clapton

My junior year in high school, my english teacher was a bit kooky, but very smart. One of our assignments was to select a song that made us feel a very strong emotion and to write an essay about it. My friend Rob chose this song. He played it for the class and explained that Clapton had written it for his best friend's wife, who he was in love with. Rob was obviously feeling Clapton's pain - and so clearly remember what it felt like to listen to the long instrumental at the end of the song that day. Good essay, Rob.

77. Right Here Right Now/Jesus Jones

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before that my entire educational path was determined largely by the fall of the Berlin Wall. And that this song reminds me of the feeling I got when I learned about those events and how excited I was for what was happening in Europe. And now, it reminds me of what it must feel like to live in the Ukraine. And it always gives me goosebumps. I think the only other song to do that is Pride (In the Name of Love).

78. Candy/Iggy Pop

I love Kate Pearson, I love Iggy Pop. Together, I think they are possibly the coolest rock stars ever. Kind of weird looking together, but so, so cool.

79. Down/311

This was the #1 song on HFS's top 99 of 1996 (played on New Years Eve). I remember hearing it over and over again during that very fun year and on the countdown as I drove to Georgetown to go out for my first NY eve legally drinking. And that was SUCH a fun night. God, what a year.

80. Anna Begins/Counting Crows

I can't believe I didn't think of this song until last, since it (#5 on August and Everything After) is one of my very favorite songs. I have the lyrics handwritten in more than one diary. Its on every mix tape I've made since 1994. I only wish the Counting Crows still wrote them like this.

Whew. I've been writing this for almost two hours. My hands are killing me, but I feel like I've accomplished something...I'm just not sure what. What I do know now is just how important a handful of years have been to my musical development: 1991, 1994 and 1996 especially. They really were good years overall. I wonder if the music made them good, or if it's that they were so good that the music I listened to in those years became good for me?

Thawing Out

I had a dentist appointment this morning - I had two cavities filled. While they were both on the same side of my mouth, they required a level of numbness that I hadn't experienced in a while. There's nothing quite like going to the grocery store and having to ask someone to help you find the capers while half your face is frozen in place. The guy at the store was really nice to me. I think he thought I was a stroke victim.

Now the numbness is subsiding and I have that weird tingly foot-falling-asleep feeling that I know will last for several hours. It's such a weird thaw.

In that time, I'm working on a big, big post. A long one. And possibly only interesting to me...

Before the Blog

I'm busy procrastinating - I'm supposed to be writing the copy for my company web site, but I absolutely hate doing this type of writing for myself, so I'm doing anything I can to put it off. Including filing. And I'm finding all sorts of interesting things in my files, all of which help me procrastinate even more.

I've always been a dork and I've always taken notes on things that don't really require note-taking, like fashion magazines. I also developed (and wrote out) a philosophical approach to my first job (in advertising) as soon as I graduated from college. My undergrad major was international relations and I subscribed to a theory by Ernst Haas called neo-functionalism. The premise of the theory is simple: economic interdependence between nation-states will eventually eradicate war because no one state will be able to afford pissing off anyone else. It's a theory that still makes sense to me. When I started working for an ad agency, I reasoned that I was a part of the solution: global brands are the path to world peace. Not to mention that advertising is probably the single most globalizing cultural force - and my other pet project in college involved understanding the relationship between art, politics and socioeconomics at different points throughout history. It was not difficult for me to rationalize that advertising was the perfect career for me.

How that played out in reality is another story, for another post. But I just ran across some notecards I wrote sometime in my advertising days, probably around 1998 or 99. They're like artifacts now: clearly the pre-cursors to the notes I sometimes make before posting these days. They're pink and blue and say:

1. Redefining travel...
- communication
- virtual
- new tourist?
- travel = experience?

2. Brands are global & globalizers

3. Is a "global citizen" really just well-versed in lots of regional subcultures?

4. Fashion & Art have been global industries for centuries. They are the fathers of culture. What does that mean?

5. 4 communities
- Global
- Regional
- National
- Local

No answers of course, just notes. Those notecards got lost almost immediately after I wrote them, so the entire inner dialogue I had about the ideas was pretty much forgotten. Good thing I have a blog now, so I save a lot on notecards.

There's been a bunch of discussion lately among high-profile bloggers like Mickey Kaus and Andrew Sullivan and Virginia Postrel about the constant demands of blogging taking away from "bigger" and deeper thought. And I notice that I spend a lot less time these days thinking about my big pet issue- the whole art/advertising/brands vs. culture tug of war. You might see more on that here in the coming weeks. I mean, what's the point in having a special area of interest if you're going to ignore it?

Underwhelmed

Right out of college, I went to work for an ad agency. I had a lot of mixed emotions about that job, but one thing it did leave me with was a new holiday: Superbowl Sunday. There's nothing quite like watching the Superbowl ads with a bunch of agency people. It's so exciting - like Christmas.

It's been a few years since I've watched with an agency crew, but the excitement lives on. Last night, I was ready for some good spots, though I was a little concerned that advertisers would be afraid to take risks, thanks to the FCC. And wow, I was right to be worried. I can't remember ever being so disappointed by the quality of Superbowl advertising.

This Bud Light ad didn't make the cut - and that's too bad because it was funny. I liked this FedEx/Kinkos spot best out of all, mostly because FedEx always targets the ad agency audience, so their ads have that inclusive, inside-joke feel. I thought this Anheuser Busch spot was nice and very heart-string tugging, but not exactly risky (though some on the left might disagree). Otherwise, though, I was unimpressed. Nothing stood out. Nothing was that edgy. I miss the 90s, with crazy spending and herding cats and such...

Well, like the NFL spot (which I think I remember from last year, as well, though I do like it) says - today, they're all undefeated. There's always next year.

My Pitiful Musical Knowledge Exposed

I know that lists are, for the most part, editorial crutches - content that doesn't require a whole lot of thought and that appeals to the ADD masses. But I can't help it - I love them. I can't resist reading them. Ever.

So when whatevs.org pointed me to this list of the top 100 singles of the decade, so far, I knew I was about to waste at least an hour. And I did. But it was such an entertaining hour.

And anyway, I'd never heard of at least half of the songs. I'm so not up on the latest in music, and I so don't care. Despite my lack of musical knowledge, it seemed like a pretty comprehensive list to me. I couldn't think of any songs I'd add. Then again, most of my favorite songs were written before 1980...

It's always cool, too, to read someone else's take on songs I like (or books or movies or whatever). And a few of the songs have been subjects of discussion or thought in my life anyway:

#68 Clocks by Coldplay. The weekend after Hurricane Isabelle deprived everyone in Baltimore of power, I spent a few hours debating the single best "rock" song ever with a bunch of friends (we were at a bar and pretty scruffy, as no one had power to dry their hair, etc). My favorite song of all time is "Me & Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin, but I understand that my love for that song is a personal thing, so I wouldn't call it the "best song ever." Instead, I chose "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2 - and I stand by that choice. I've heard that song a million times and I still get the chills when I hear it. My friend Sam, though, was adamant that "Clocks" is "better than anything U2 has ever sung." I think he's insane. I mean, it's a good song, but better than "Pride"? I don't think so. I'm pretty sure he has the same kind of personal thing about Clocks that I have about Bobby McGee and just doesn't realize it.

#59 Do You Realize by The Flaming Lips. My sister put this song on a mix CD she made for me in December 2003. It was on a bunch of VH1 ads at the same time, which might make it remind me of that season in particular, except that it's just the kind of song that transcends one particular time or place. What it does remind me of, though, is a conversation my brother and I had about the lost art of the mix tape. See, Erin put it on the middle of the CD when it clearly would be a great last song. It has that questioning, floaty feeling that just lends itself to the end of a tape. But Erin's probably never made a mix tape - they were mostly before her time. So she's never had to actually sit through every song she adds to the tape as she makes it. I think something about the process - that sitting and listening - makes the tape-maker extra conscious of the order of songs. Of how the listeners mood will change as they listen to the tape. At the end of High Fidelity, John Cusak's character describes what it takes to make a really great mix - start it off really strong, then take it up a notch. Might be a lost art, though, since now it's so easy just to dump a bunch of music files on a CD.

#53 Lose Yourself by Eminem. I saw 8 Mile in the theater the first weekend it came out. After I saw it, I wanted to watch it again, immediately. While I've read that it's an overly simplistic movie, I don't care. I can watch it over and over again - especially the rap battle scenes. After watching that movie, I have so much energy. And I feel the same way after I hear the song - like I will win that battle and become a famous rapper, even if I live in a trailer park in Detroit. So I was surprised to read the reviewer who included the song in this list say that he feels winded after hearing the song, like he's just lost a rap battle. He must be a HUGE pessimist.

I was also very, very pleased (and not at all surprised) to see Outkast take places 18 (Ms. Jackson), 2 (Hey Ya) and 1 (Bombs over Bagdhad). And surprised that BOB took the top spot. I mean, I think it's a great song, but I remember once playing it for my brother and sister (who fancy themselves quite knowledgable about music) - and they were not at all into it. Granted, it's slightly reminiscent of "Whoomp There It Is!" but who says that's a bad thing?

I hope I find another one of these fun list thingies tomorrow. They are so entertaining.

Speaking of Wales

That's country Wales, not animal whales. I just wrote about Tom Jones...and now I've got something new to say that refers to the Welsh. Interestingly enough.

I realize that googling myself is an embarrassingly self-involved thing to do. But I am clearly nothing if not self-involved. I mean, look at this blog. So the other day, I googled myself for the first time since I got married and changed my name. Back in the day, when I googled Kit Waskom, I got all kinds of cool hits - stuff I'd written, articles that quoted me, even random press releases from forever ago. No longer, though.

Googling Kit Waskom Pollard brings up this blog and, way down the page, some of my old Kit Waskom pages. It was a small blow to my ego to see that I'm not as famous with my full new name, but not so bad. This blog comes up, too.

But just googling Kit Pollard. That is BAD. Nothing about me even comes up on the first page. But - and this brings me to Wales - I have a namesake in Wales. It is a boy. A Welsh boy in his teens who swims competitively. I can't read most of the site, but he gets higher billing than I do? Thanks, Google's algorithm.

When I got married, it never occured to me to keep my name. I didn't even have a middle name to begin with, so I didn't have to drop anything, I just kept Waskom as my maiden name. Now, though, after these disappointing Google results, I understand the women who complain about "losing their identity". Apparently I've lost mine. And on top of that, I'm not even unique anymore. I'm fairly certain I was the only Kit Waskom in the world. And I'm not sure how I feel about sharing, especially with a teenage boy.

Where Was This Two Years Ago?

For the few years that hover around 25, I had a bit of an obsession with teenage girls - and I do NOT mean that the way it sounds. I just convinced myself that I had a supernatural ability to communicate with girls during their most dramatic and angst-filled years (the nine years I have on my sister are probably to blame). I've even written THREE separate book proposals for the teenage girl audience. Two of them actually aren't even that bad. Of course, by the time I finished the proposals, I lost a lot of interest in the book ideas. For the past year, I haven't thought much about the teenage girl audience.

That might change, though, since I've found this web site. I just wish I'd known about it back then. It's a great resource - informative and well-written. And all about the girls...

What's Old Is New Again, Pussycat?

It could very well just be me...but I've noticed a bit of a Tom Jones revival lately. Wasn't he in a GAP ad last year? And this year, Lenny Kravitz remakes a song...another song is in a Special K commercial (that I find very amusing)...and I swear I've just heard a lot of him on the radio. Maybe he never really went away and it's that I'm just discovering him, but he does seem to be just everywhere.

I have a good Tom Jones story, too. Back in the day, my mother-in-law went out on a date with him. She was young and living in London at the time, working at the BBC. I don't know the whole story, but I do know their relationship only lasted one date. I think he was a bit much for her, even in her swinging twenties...