let's review

Here we go again. I'm not gonna lie, and since it's gone, there's no reason not to talk shit about it; 2004 was a big steaming piece of shit. All things considered, it was pretty good for me personally. Even though I busted my ass and often struggled with why I bothered, I'm happy with my job and where it's headed. I even got to meet Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley and sit on a couch and share a beer with her and stuff (scream!). Other than work, however, I didn't really do much but put a hurting on my liver and watch a lot of movies. All things considered, it could have been worse. However, the world outside of my persons was pretty shitty. War, hate, Bush, hurricanes and tsunamis (I knew 2004 wasn't going to go out quietly), it hardly seemed like anything good happened last year.

I don't really want to dwell on the negative, though, considering it's a new year, and I'm supposed to be all hopeful and shit. Because I'm sitting in my parents' dining room and drinking a Bartles and Jaymes "Exotic Berry" wine cooler (don't ask), I'll err on the side of optimism and offer that perhaps 2004 was misunderstood and just needed someone to say "hey, you're special, guy. Don't pout." Just a thought.

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My favorite albums of 2004 in no particular order:

Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous (duh)

Handsome Boy Modeling School - White People

Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse

Joseph Arthur - Our Shadows Will Remain

Ghostface - The Pretty Toney Album

Rogue Wave - Out of the Shadow

Rasputina - Frustration Plantation

PJ Harvey - Uh Huh Her

I guess that's one thing 2004 had going for it. I had to struggle to come up with just five favorite albums for 2003. I guess shitty times spawn good music. Didn't I say I was going to be positive?

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Fuck positive, I guess, because the world lost some pretty cool entertainment people in 2004: Rodney Dangerfield, Dimebag Darrell, Ray Charles, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and even Jerry Orbach. I was really sad to hear about Mr. Orbach's passing. I don't know if I was a super huge fan of his work--I never got to see him on Broadway or anything like that--but I always enjoyed seeing him on TV and the like.

My mom and I used to watch Law & Order all the time, so Mr. Orbach is linked to a lot of good memories. He also provided the voice for Lumiere in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and you can't front on that.