My favorite songs of 2012...

Music is a gigantic part of my life. I sing almost anywhere—the car, the shower, even in my office sometimes&#151. As I've mentioned countless times before, I have more than 22,000 songs on my iPod. It's the largest model Apple makes, and when I run out of space, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I can't imagine having to jettison music from it, even if it will still exist in the cloud or on my laptop. I mean, how can you predict when you'll have the strongest urge to listen to Broken Wings by Mr. Mister or the soundtrack to American Idiot?

I started thinking about the songs I've listened to most this year. While my taste generally hews toward pop, alternative, and singer/songwriter-type genres, I listen to every type of music, and the songs that kept being played over and over and over again are fairly diverse.

To pick just 20 songs was difficult, so this is by no means a compilation of my musical tastes. And if you're more musically highbrow than I am, well, good for you.

In no particular order, here are my favorite songs of 2012. I've linked a YouTube video to the title of each song.

1. Never Had by Oscar Isaac: I absolutely loved the high school reunion movie 10 Years, and this song by Oscar Isaac, who played one of the friends whose song hit it big in the music world, was one of the many reasons why. Listen to the song and see the movie.

2. If It Wasn't for You by Various Cruelties: I have to thank one of my favorite bloggers, Kenneth Walsh of kenneth in the (212) for this recommendation, which he included as part of his "Song of the Day" feature on his blog. I love everything about this song, even now when it's used on commercials.

3. Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men: This is a terrific song, but the instrumental intro peps me up every time I hear it. And then I want to keep shouting "hey!" (Listen to the song and you'll understand what I mean.)

4. Home by Phillip Phillips: Yes, this song is everywhere. But I just love it. And if you look back to any of my blog posts from late January through mid-May of 2012, you'll see I was a fan of Phillip Phillips from when he first hit the American Idol stage last season. His win may have continued the "white guy with guitar" trend, but it was deserving.

5. Thinking About You by Frank Ocean: Frank Ocean frigging rocks, not only for his courage to come out of the closet at the height of his R&B/hip-hop career, but simply for his musical brilliance. This song is a good example.

6. Some Nights by Fun.: No, I don't have a clue what the song means, but I cannot get it out of my head. Even though We Are Young might be the band's biggest hit, this is one of my favorite songs off their CD.

7. Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye (featuring Kimbra): Please, like you can get this song out of your head? I just hope Gotye won't wind up on the list of one-hit wonders after this; I think he's too talented. (For fun, check out this version by Ron Pope, one of my favorite singers.)

My grown-up New Year's list...

I'm not much into New Year's resolutions, more because I think life should be about continuously setting goals and adjusting your focus when things don't succeed, rather than being overly ambitious on day one only to wind up disappointed in yourself when things don't work out. (There's plenty of time for me to be disappointed, believe me.)

That being said, I do have a list of ideas and goals I'd like to embrace in the coming year. Not all will be easily achievable, but that's what growing and bettering yourself is about, right?

Inspired by one of my favorite holiday songs, here's my Grown-up New Year's List:

1. In the immortal words of Journey, don't stop believing, hold on to the feeling.


2. Remember that strong is the new skinny. And emotional and intellectual muscles are just as important as physical ones.


3. Sweating the small stuff is infinitely harder than simply sweating.


4. Don't miss an opportunity to tell someone how important they are to you, because you never know when you'll miss the opportunity forever.


5. Sing even when someone is listening. As they say, don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear.


6. Play hard. Laugh hard. Work hard. Love hard.


7. Help make "thank you" two words more overused in 2013 than "Kardashian," "fiscal cliff," or "Westboro Baptist Church."


8. There's nothing wrong with wanting the same things others have, just don't let that want control you.


9. Be your own hero. And it wouldn't hurt to be someone else's, too.


10. Being perfect is overrated. Flawed people have more fun.

I wish all of you a happy, healthy 2013. And don't hesitate to remind me of any of the items on this list at any time!

Not quite another Auld Lang Syne...

If you're like me, you grew up watching Dick Clark lead the countdown in Times Square as one year faded into the next. While the past few years watching Clark lead the countdown following his stroke were a little depressing, I'll definitely feel a sense of loss watching Dick Clark's New Year's Rocking Eve this year without the man himself. (If we can stay awake!)

So in tribute, here's a compilation I found on YouTube of the ball drops in Times Square and the countdowns Clark led, from 1976-2012. Here's hoping that wherever he is, he's having one hell of a New Year's Eve celebration with many of the music legends we've lost, and playing practical jokes on people with Ed McMahon's help.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Not sticks or stones, but words...

Last night I had the awesome pleasure of watching the Washington Redskins clinch the NFC East division for the first time since 1999, beating their arch rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, in front of a roaring crowd. For a team that was 3-6 just seven weeks ago, to finish with a 10-6 regular season record and be headed to the playoffs just demonstrates the amazing talent and persistence the players have, especially rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III and rookie running back Alfred Morris.

The game was do-or-die—if the Redskins won, they clinched the division title; if they lost, they were out of the playoffs. The fact that it all came down to this, against the Cowboys of all teams, created an electrifying atmosphere I've never experienced before in my lifetime.

As with any sporting event, there were fans of the opposing team, talking their usual smack. When you take a game that means this much to both teams, throw in a decades-long rivalry, and add alcohol, tempers are sure to run a little higher than normal. But the taunting that occurred last night hit a little closer to home and was a little more hurtful than I would have expected.

Seated in our section last night was a Cowboys fan in his early to mid-20s. He had clearly been drinking. And when the Cowboys ultimately scored first, he was quick to taunt those of us around him, many of whom teased him for being a Cowboys fan in the first place. At that point, the sarcastically friendly ribbing turned ugly, as folks around us starting referring to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo as "Tony Homo" and then proceeded to call the players and the fan in our section "fag," "homo," and use lots of other homophobic comments to describe everyone.

The action started again fairly quickly, so they were distracted, although they started up again once or twice. Having sat with a number of these people many times before over a few years, I've always believed them to be reasonably decent, so this was shocking. And I felt powerless to stop this.

Why is it that we still resort to homophobic taunts when poking fun at people? Is it necessary to adopt a mocking, higher voice, even a lisp, to get some sort of point across? To these people, is being a "faggot" or "homo" the worst thing they can imagine?

Sure, I know there was alcohol involved, but that doesn't excuse the behavior. I couldn't help but be brought back to far too many high school and middle school gym classes and other incidents in my childhood where those words were used. And although I have a much stronger self-belief system than I did then, I don't imagine I'm the only one who was affected by those words in a similar way.

My—perhaps naïve—hope for 2013 is that people don't find it necessary to resort to taunts of "fag" and "homo" when they want to insult people. I hope that professional athletes and comedians don't think the easy way to recover from a taunt, or the quickest way to a laugh, is to use those words.

Don't we owe it to ourselves to be a little more evolved? The world didn't end last week; why revert to outdated prejudice when behaving in the present?

Movie Review: "The Impossible"

Sometimes when I complain about things not going right, people tell me to keep it in perspective, to realize that what is happening to me isn't nearly as bad as the misfortunes of others. I'll admit that I don't always see that advice as helpful, because what feels unfair or insurmountable to one person may be nothing to another. (They say that admittance of the problem is the first step to recovery, don't they?)

After watching The Impossible, the harrowing, hopeful true story of a family affected by the late December 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia, which killed more than 230,000 people in 14 countries, I don't know if I'll ever complain about seemingly petty things again. This incredible disaster struck without warning and was the third largest earthquake ever recorded.

In the movie, Henry and Maria Bennett (Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts) travel to a resort in Khao Lak, Thailand with their three sons to enjoy some relaxation over the Christmas holiday. Their worries and frustrations are typical of most families—concerns about money, worry about whether anyone armed the alarm system before leaving, the oldest son being irritated by the fears and demands of his younger siblings. And then on December 26, while enjoying some family fun in the swimming pool at the resort, the winds suddenly pick up, and disaster strikes.

The effects the filmmakers used in depicting the tsunami, the power of the water and the destruction it left in its wake, how seemingly harmless debris held such danger when propelled by the surging ocean, and the staggering aftermath, is tremendously affecting. It almost looked like actual footage shot in 2004. Maria and her oldest son, Lucas (played by then-14-year-old Tom Holland), find themselves brought together as the water rolls over them and then subsides, carrying them far from Henry and the two younger boys.

Maria sustains significant injuries and Lucas bravely tries to help her to safety as they waited to see if any further disaster would strike, and eventually, to find help. A good portion of the film follows Maria's stay in a tremendously busy Thai hospital, stretched far too thinly to handle all of the injuries and deaths brought there, and Lucas' efforts to help other survivors try and find members of their families. Another portion of the film follows Henry, trying to find Maria and Lucas, and being forced to make some tremendously difficult and emotional choices along the way.

The anguish, frustration, and exhaustion portrayed by Watts, McGregor, Holland, and countless actors with tiny speaking roles (sometimes in other languages) really tugged at my heart and my tear ducts. It reminded me of the post-9/11 frenzy in New York and Washington, as survivors tried desperately to find any news of their missing loved ones.

Watts is simultaneously brave and fearful, wearied and strong, although her part isn't as large as McGregor or Holland's. Although I can't believe Ewan McGregor is playing father roles now (this is the guy from Trainspotting and Velvet Goldmine, for pity's sake), I was wowed by the raw emotion and courage of his performance, and Tom Holland, in his first real movie role, is truly fantastic.

This is a movie that has more going for it than sheer emotional manipulation. It is a well-told story that brings home the unbelievable impact this disaster had on the lives of some affected by it, and the frustrations, fears, and challenges they faced. It's a difficult movie to watch but one so worth watching.

Book Review: "Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See" by Juliann Garey

Juliann Garey's first novel really packs a wallop.

Greyson Todd is a studio executive in Los Angeles. As an agent, his clients have won multiple Oscars, made millions of dollars, and have been the toast of the entertainment industry. Greyson and his wife, Ellen, who met as teenagers, have a young daughter, Willa, and when he is able to break away from the demands of work, Greyson enjoys spending time with his daughter.

The thing is, Greyson also suffers from bipolar disorder, which has made him almost manically dedicated and driven on behalf of his clients, but leaves him to unpredictably deal with the highest highs and the lowest lows, and keep them hidden from those he represents and others in the industry. It is incredibly debilitating and although Ellen supports him through these periods, the strain is becoming increasingly more difficult.

And one night, Greyson has had it. He leaves Ellen and Willa and allows his illness to take control, and travels the world—visiting Rome, Israel, Chile, Uganda, and Thailand—assuming different identities and living different lives until his illness catches up with him again. Each time, he experiences some terrific joys and connecting with people, mostly women, and then the lows begin crushing him again, in many different ways.

Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See is a gripping, poignant, and tremendously compelling book about one man's struggle with mental illness and how it affects those around him. The book shifts between Greyson's current condition, getting ECT treatments in a New York hospital, to his travels all over the world, his relationships with Ellen and Willa, and his childhood, when he watched his father deal with the same illness that is affecting him and how his long-suffering mother handled it.

Juliann Garey is a tremendously talented writer and she hooks you into Greyson's story almost immediately. Her storytelling ability is powerful, as she makes you care for Greyson even as he is doing things you may find horrifying or disturbing. While a book about mental illness would allow an author to create one-dimensional characters and rely on stereotypes, Garey brings a fresh perspective to a somewhat familiar story.

Mental illness is a serious problem that is often misunderstood. Juliann Garey helps you see the man behind the illness, and how it affects his daily life as well as the lives of those with whom he comes into contact. This is really a terrific book.

Cool cover song of the week...

Here's a little trip down memory lane, breaking away from my fondness for cover versions of 80s and 90s songs.

I've always been a huge Michael McDonald fan, both when he was with The Doobie Brothers and in his solo career (although if I never again hear On My Own, his duet with Patti LaBelle, it will be too soon). But there's probably no more quintessential McDonald/Doobie Brothers song than What a Fool Believes, which appeared on their 1978 album Minute by Minute, hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1979, and won both Song of the Year and Record of the Year Grammy Awards in 1980.

While the original version of this song is timeless, I thought the cover version recorded in 2008 by Italian a cappella group Neri Per Caso, featuring vocals by Mario Biondi, was really interesting, particularly for the contrast of Biondi's gravelly voice versus McDonald's more soulful one.

Here is Neri Per Caso and Mario Biondi's take on the song:



And for nostalgia's sake, here's the original:



Check out my previous Cool Cover Songs of the Week:

Borderline by The Counting Crows

How Deep Is Your Love by The Bird and The Bee

Life in a Northern Town by Sugarland, Little Big Town, and Jake Owen

I Don't Want to Talk About It by The Indigo Girls

Only You by Joshua Radin

Pure Imagination by Maroon 5

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by Blake Stratton