the first of many.

Greetings dear readers, and welcome. I'll try not to be some pathetic blogger who spends hours cataloging the lame minutia of their everyday lives. I hope to use this as sort of a "how to" list of the finer things in music, literature, and other things that interest me. As this is my first post and I'm feeling rather uncreative, I'll be brief. As of today, here are five picks and four pans that may make your life a little more interesting and fun...

PICKS:
1) The album "Loveless" by My Bloody Valentine - many hipsters feel this is one of the greatest makeout albums known to humankind. I just think it's a groundbreaking collection of great music.
2) Absinthe being legalized. Yes, it's not quite like the shit you can get in Europe, but I have to admit, I love the convenience of going down to my local liquor store and getting a bottle, rather than ordering online and waiting. Yes, more poseurs are going to jump on the bandwagon, but there's not much anyone can do about that.
3) pandora.com - most people as geeky as me already know and use this obsessively. I am re-discovering how good this can be. With radio being in the state that it is right now, this is the best way to get exposed to new music.
4) Charles Bukowski - I picked up an anthology of a bunch of his work (stories, poems, and excerpts from novels) for cheap, and was reminded of just how much I love his stuff. I need a drink.
5) NHL '97 for Super Nintendo. I grew up on this game, before its Genesis companion was popularized in Swingers, and still enjoy playing it to this day. Eleven years later, there is still no one who can touch The Red Wings in this game.

PANS
1) Television - other than a select handful of shows (most notably Chuck and American Gladiators) Television has gone to pot. Sure, I love watching women whore it up for washed up rockstars as much as the next person, but if they come up with another "best new show of mid-season" I think I might just give up.
2) "the technical revolution" - I swear, if I have to see the letter "i" in front of another innovation, I'm going to go down to Cupertino and personally kick Steve Jobs in the iNuts. Phones are for calling. Mp3 players are for music. Computers are for everything. Stop trying to blur the fucking lines.
3) The word "guesstimate" fortunately, it seems to have fallen from the parlance of our time, but there are still some assbag suits out there who drop it from time to time.
4) The Marina District - if you're from, or have been to, SF - you know what I'm talking about. I refuse to pay a cover to get into a bar full of frat boys and girls who care about what car you drive and your annual salary. I'm broke and I drive a POS Rodeo, give me a fucking beer.