It's all about self-discipline.

One year without drinking for me.  Not everyone my age does that.  I went to a 3-day music festival and didn't drink for the entire time because I didn't want to break my personal goal, so I stuck with that, and still had a blast.  Who knows, maybe I'll have one or two drinks in 2014 (it's not a crime when you are of legal age), but it is always good to know that you can keep a goal to stay healthy and not over-do it with drinking if you commit to that goal.

My message to my followers:

Find a way that you want to be, commit to that, and stick with it.  

I'm also committed to being single until I find someone who doesn't care about how much money I have/don't have.  That is tough to do these days!

 If I ever make it, I'll still remember the hard times, like when my parents separated.  I needed a job quickly, and I had to take whatever work I could find.  I worked food delivery jobs for people who treated me horribly (like Mike Rice, Ritchie Incognito kind of people), so that I could afford to eat.  Those kind of jobs taught me not to take the good opportunities that I have for granted.

Highly anticipated new stuff from Katy B coming next year.

Forgiving Kanye

"Saying that Jews have lots of money is the same kind of thing as saying that black men have big penises."  

-Kanye West, on his "ignorant compliment."

Well, if he knew anything about Jewish history, he would know that ideas like that are what started the Holocaust.  I don't know if I am supposed to forgive this guy. 

 I hear stuff at my job all the time about Jews being rich or whatever.  I usually don't re-act to it.  

It never helps to fight racist ideology with other racist ideology.  Some people really do say things out of ignorance, I think.  

At least he didn't rape babies, like the singer of Lostprophets.

I have been released upon the world to provide them (I'm not even calling it "selling" because it is more important than that) life insurance.  

I am officially not a hipster. Only ever so slightly so, if at all.

I've been navigating through existential netherworlds lately.  I guess sometimes I wonder why I do the things I do, but I think I just search for awesome things compulsively because there has to be something better than Maroon 5 out there.  I am not special and I am really just searching.  

 I'll tell you how un-hipster I really am.  Today my co-worker starting singing/humming "Moves Like Jagger" and I sort of wanted to smack him but I didn't, when I could have easily reacted negatively to that.   

 I also listened to some Barry Manilow compilation from the Hallmark store and a Marvin Gaye compilation from Kohl's of all places (despite the fact that I own What's Goin' On).  Both of these items are owned by my mom, but she doesn't listen to them.  I listened to both of these items out of laziness, because I didn't feel like getting up, turning on my computer, and listening to something on there.  It really wasn't bad to listen to, but I am usually not someone who just listens to "whatever is lying around."

I think that most people don't seek to better themselves because they are lazy.  I talked to my co-worker about my morning routine and how hard it is to drag myself out of bed, and how much self-talk I have to give myself in order to get up in the morning and not just go back to sleep and miss work after I turn off my alarm just because it is really cold out and I don't feel like getting up.  I remember having a lot of issues in college with getting up for class and not wanting to go because of some combination of laziness and anxiety.  I think I have  resolved these issues, because now I get up extra early, and I go to things even when I am really nervous.  I am never late, and I have a much more positive attitude than I once did.  

Any day now, I shall be released! (to provide families with life insurance coverage.) hence the song selection.  Apparently, it is originally by Bob Dylan, but I first heard it on Music From The Big Pink by the Band. 

 

You wouldn't expect Daft Punk to bring in Julian Casablancas for a track, but it works.

EMA(Erika M. Anderson)'s Past Life Martyred Saints was my favorite album of 2011.  Now she is back.

My best new artist, 2013

I really want to see these ladies in May for my birthday, and not shout at them how I want to start a family with them even though that might be fun because that would be inappropriate.
It is pretty awesome to see some Jewish girl-next-door types become huge stars.  

Haim is my best new artist of the year. 

Keep the Christ in Christmas, keep the "CHHHHHH" in Chanukah (Make that throat-clearing noise!!), and the "ZAAAA" in Kwanzaa.  In my twenty seven years of life, I still haven't met someone who celebrates Kwanzaa.  

Notice that I do not mention the anti-semitic Kanye West in my year-end notes!

New album out next year! 

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of anything balearic pop from Sweden and that the Tough Alliance's A New Chance was one of my favorite albums of the past decade , so I am really anticipating new stuff from CEO in the upcoming year.

I haven't really had the chance to use the adjective "groovy" much this year, but I'll use it right now because that is what I am hearing now.

I am looking for a bit more professionalism from my friends.  I guess if you are in your late 20's and still pre-gaming harder than everyone else parties (go F&M!), then you have some changes that need to be made. 

 I met some guy with Hepatitis C the other day, and not only is he regretting his past, but he is very difficult to insure with that, and might not get the coverage for his family that he needs.

Also, if the first time I met you was when you were drunk or stoned, I am probably not going to like you/remember you/care to speak to you more.  

20 artists who released albums I liked in 2013 (I do this every year).

1. 1. Yo La Tengo
   2. Julia Holter
   3. My Bloody Valentine
   4. Daft Punk
   5. Classixx
   6. Bill Callahan
   7. Dirty Beaches
   8. David Bowie
   9. The National
   10. FKA Twigs
   11. Wire
   12. Blood Orange
   13. Oneohtrix Point Never
   14. Autre Ne Veut
   15. Darkside
   16. Mark Kozelek
   17. Mazzy Star
   18. Courtney Barnett
   19. Sky Ferreira
   20. Nick Cave
   Plenty more I liked, but I decided to just go with twenty.  Could I be any more predictable? I've I've had so little time this year to listen, except during long commutes.

I always have a few albums that creep up on me and impress me that I didn't really pay attention to during the year.  That would have to be the new one from Juana Molina this year.  Also, Chelsea Wolfe released a really good album this year.  Also, I have to say, Cass McCombs' new album just really grew on me, and I'm really getting into Blue Rider by Zachary Cale.