Don't worry this isn't some proclamation about my 2014 New Years resolution. I gave that up a long time ago. I do like to make lists of things that I want to do more of in the next year. This is kind of that and a recap of some of the best things of 2013 that I heard, saw, or did.
Starting with 2013
Best Album of the year- Lorde, Pure Heroin. It was a good year for music with Jay Z's 'Magna Carter', Drake released something completely different in 'Nothing Was The Same', JT finally released something to listen to as opposed to the big screen, Kayne had Yeezus, and Daft Punk killed it with Pharrell. Lorde came out with 'Pure Heroin' and it was a masterpiece. You can listen to it for days without it getting tired. It's going to be tough to follow that one up, but at 17 she has a lot of years left to do it.
Best Comedy- 21 and Over. I love stupid comedies that are geared around dick and fart jokes. 21 and Over (now on Netflix) was written by the same duo that wrote the first Hangover Movie (but not 2 & 3) so it follows that same humor line. The premise is simple, 2 friends surprise their friend Jeff Chang to celebrate his 21st birthday. The kid, Miller, in the movie was definitely modeled after me and his jokes are my style.
Miller: OK, I can tell you don't like me but if you have a sister that looks like you....
Honorable Mention: This is the End
Best Drama- Behind the Candlebra. Michael Douglas and Matt Damon play Liberace and his former lover in an HBO movie that should have been in theaters. The performances were amazing and the scenes done so well that it made me uncomfortable, completely forgetting that I was watching actors in movie and not a documentary done memoir.
Honorable Mention: All is Lost
Best Documentary- Blackfish. I hate when people over use the word "powerful" when describing movies but this is a time its warranted. If you finish the movie and don't think SeaWorld is doing some horrible things with the Orca's your a horrible human being. Or Dick Chaney.
Honorable Mention: 180 Degrees South
Better than I thought they would be:
Man of Steel- There is a huge difference in the way Marvel movies and DC movies are made. The Marvel movies (Avengers, Thor, Wolverine, etc) are more focused on the destruction and the special effects than giving any sort of background on the character itself. DC movies like Batman and this new Superman movie provide enough back story that it draws you in. The destruction action sequences are an piece of the story but not the main focus. I liked this version of superman a lot.
Oblivion- A Tom Cruise movie with Olga Kurylenko and a cute ginger chick on Earth in the future. The story line isn't bad, Tom Cruise does a good job, and the effects are good. It was $1.50 on a late Friday night Red Box trip after an 11:15 soccer game. I expected maybe a tolerable NetFlix level 2 movie and got a legit TNT weekend re-run watchable movie.
GI Joe Retaliation- I knew what I was getting into; I wasn't expecting Silver Lining Play Book or The Dark Knight Rises but I thought it was a fun and enjoyable movie. Ninja's are always cool and The Rock blows shit up. What more do you want in an action movie to make you smile?
Worse for Watching it:
Identity Thief- so bad I couldn't finish it.
Star Trek: Into Darkness- Horribly predictable without giving me any reason to like the characters. The first one was very good, in this one I was rooting more for Kahn than Kirk and the amazingly beautiful Zoe Saldana.
Pacific Rim- I knew it would be campy but it sucked. Stringer Bell (Idris Elba, but he will forever be Stringer Bell in my mind) was good, Charlie from Always Sunny was the exact same Charlie character from Always Sunny, and that Japanese chick w slight purple highlights was very cute. Not worth watching it at all.
Stand up Guys- Pacino gave up acting about 4 years ago but still makes/mails in movies to pay for something. This one is horrible. Another one I didn't finish- a 2 star NetFlix (1 in real life) movie.
Honorable Mention: ft33, Dallas. It's always fantastic, different, and introduces me to flavors I've never tried.
Starting with 2013
Best Album of the year- Lorde, Pure Heroin. It was a good year for music with Jay Z's 'Magna Carter', Drake released something completely different in 'Nothing Was The Same', JT finally released something to listen to as opposed to the big screen, Kayne had Yeezus, and Daft Punk killed it with Pharrell. Lorde came out with 'Pure Heroin' and it was a masterpiece. You can listen to it for days without it getting tired. It's going to be tough to follow that one up, but at 17 she has a lot of years left to do it.
Best Comedy- 21 and Over. I love stupid comedies that are geared around dick and fart jokes. 21 and Over (now on Netflix) was written by the same duo that wrote the first Hangover Movie (but not 2 & 3) so it follows that same humor line. The premise is simple, 2 friends surprise their friend Jeff Chang to celebrate his 21st birthday. The kid, Miller, in the movie was definitely modeled after me and his jokes are my style.
Miller: OK, I can tell you don't like me but if you have a sister that looks like you....
Honorable Mention: This is the End
Best Drama- Behind the Candlebra. Michael Douglas and Matt Damon play Liberace and his former lover in an HBO movie that should have been in theaters. The performances were amazing and the scenes done so well that it made me uncomfortable, completely forgetting that I was watching actors in movie and not a documentary done memoir.
Honorable Mention: All is Lost
Best Documentary- Blackfish. I hate when people over use the word "powerful" when describing movies but this is a time its warranted. If you finish the movie and don't think SeaWorld is doing some horrible things with the Orca's your a horrible human being. Or Dick Chaney.
Honorable Mention: 180 Degrees South
Better than I thought they would be:
Man of Steel- There is a huge difference in the way Marvel movies and DC movies are made. The Marvel movies (Avengers, Thor, Wolverine, etc) are more focused on the destruction and the special effects than giving any sort of background on the character itself. DC movies like Batman and this new Superman movie provide enough back story that it draws you in. The destruction action sequences are an piece of the story but not the main focus. I liked this version of superman a lot.
Oblivion- A Tom Cruise movie with Olga Kurylenko and a cute ginger chick on Earth in the future. The story line isn't bad, Tom Cruise does a good job, and the effects are good. It was $1.50 on a late Friday night Red Box trip after an 11:15 soccer game. I expected maybe a tolerable NetFlix level 2 movie and got a legit TNT weekend re-run watchable movie.
GI Joe Retaliation- I knew what I was getting into; I wasn't expecting Silver Lining Play Book or The Dark Knight Rises but I thought it was a fun and enjoyable movie. Ninja's are always cool and The Rock blows shit up. What more do you want in an action movie to make you smile?
Worse for Watching it:
Identity Thief- so bad I couldn't finish it.
Star Trek: Into Darkness- Horribly predictable without giving me any reason to like the characters. The first one was very good, in this one I was rooting more for Kahn than Kirk and the amazingly beautiful Zoe Saldana.
Pacific Rim- I knew it would be campy but it sucked. Stringer Bell (Idris Elba, but he will forever be Stringer Bell in my mind) was good, Charlie from Always Sunny was the exact same Charlie character from Always Sunny, and that Japanese chick w slight purple highlights was very cute. Not worth watching it at all.
Stand up Guys- Pacino gave up acting about 4 years ago but still makes/mails in movies to pay for something. This one is horrible. Another one I didn't finish- a 2 star NetFlix (1 in real life) movie.
Best Trip I took in 2013:
Running with the Bulls in Spain
Honorable Mention: Curacao
Best Meal:
The Governor, Curacao- The best meal I've ever had. Yes I was in the caribbean and yes the weather was perfect while the wine was excellent but every item we had was the best thing I had ever had. From the opening soup to the last chocolate mouse dessert we all agreed it was wonderful.
Honorable Mention: ft33, Dallas. It's always fantastic, different, and introduces me to flavors I've never tried.
On to things I want to do in 2014:
- Drink more:
- Wine- I'd also like to get a little more versed in wine
- Gin- An underrated liquor that makes a lot of drinks well
- Whiskey- The American version of scotch and way better.
- Cook more at home/ attend more pot luck dinners
- Travel the World & US more
- Buy less pairs of shoes- I have too many freaking pairs of shoes
- Complete the Hotter than Hell Ride for the 2nd time- Baring no injuries I think this one is a GO.
- Drink Less:
- Rumple- HK believes no one over 23 should drink Rumple so I guess its time I quit.
- Jager- I cut it out for the most part in 2013 and it should stay dead
- Get at least one second date, although the above piece should help with that.
- Eat more:
- Seafood- Fish is wonderful, mussels are fantastic, and lobster rolls are tough to beat.
- Grass fed beef- it's definitely better for you and it tastes great.
- Protein Smoothies- Breakfast of champs. And RJ.
- Mountain bike more
- Try bone marrow
- Watch more documentaries- Netflix is doing awesome for this.
- Go camping more
- Buy less trivial shit
- Play more golf- A year into this golf experiment and I'm really digging it. Next up is shoot under 100 consistently.
- Go to more Rangers Games
- Cut some ties
- Eat less fast food, a lot less fast food. Las Palapas is a sit down restaurant and excluded from this proclamation.
