Day 50: Best Albums of 2000s

As a celebration of my 50th blog post I figured it was time to do something meaningful....ahem, riight. Anyway, since it seems everyone is doing this, and I have a tradition of rating the top albums of the year, I figured I'm due for a compilation of the best albums of the 2000s. I'm sure this is going to be somewhat contraversial, but here it is nonetheless. Please let me know if there are any glaring mistakes in this, or albums I forgot to include. Anyway, here we go...enjoy.

Honorable Mentions

Fancy Footwork - Chromeo

The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers

It's Never Been Like That - Phoenix

Brother's Blood - Kevin Devine

The Life Pursuit - Belle & Sebastian

The Lillywhite Sessions - Dave Matthews Band

Cold Roses - Ryan Adams

The Slim Shady LP - Eminem

Everything All the Time - Band of Horses

Cease to Begin - Band of Horses

Demon Days - Gorillaz

O' Brother Where Art Thou? Soundtrack - Various Artists

Top 50 Albums of the 2000s

50. Cease to Begin - Band of Horses

49. Dear Catastrophe Waitress - Belle & Sebastian

48. The Stage Names/The Stand Ins (Sequel Albums) - Okkervil River

47. Mass Romantic - New Pornographers

46. Silent Alarm - Bloc Party

45. Discovery - Daft Punk

44. Viva La Vida and All His Friends - Coldplay

43. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand

42. Stankonia - Outkast

41. Good News for People Who Love Bad News - Modest Mouse

40. Alligator - The National

39. Oracular Spectacular - MGMT

38. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

37. I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning - Bright Eyes

36. Give Up - The Postal Service

35. Chutes Too Narrow - The Shins

34. Plans - Death Cab for Cutie

33. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon

32. Van Lear Rose - Loretta Lynn

31. Antics - Interpol

And now for the top 30 Albums of the Decade....

30. Stay Positive - The Hold Steady

29. The Eraser - Thom Yorke

28. The Blueprint - Jay-Z

27. Wincing The Night Away - The Shins

26. Fever to Tell - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

25. Sky Blue Sky - Wilco

24. Boxer - The National

23. You Forgot it in People - Broken Social Scene

22. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

21. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix

20. A Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay

19. Neon Bible - Arcade Fire

18. ( ) - Sigur Ros

17. The Moon and Antarctica - Modest Mouse

16. Gold - Ryan Adams

15. The Crane Wife - The Decemberists

14. Boys and Girls in America - The Hold Steady

13. Elephant - The White Stripes

12. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips

11. Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie

10. Illinois - Sufjan Stevens

9. Turn on the Bright Lights - Interpol

8. Is This It? - The Strokes

7. In Rainbows - Radiohead

6. Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem

5. Agaetis Byjurn - Sigur Ros

4. White Blood Cells - The White Stripes

3. Kid A - Radiohead

2. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco

1. Funeral - Arcade Fire

Day 49: Ridiculous isn't the Right Word

Yesterday I heard someone talking about Haiti and given the fact that this same person has previously mentioned that certain banks shouldn't be visited due to the presence of "dark homeless types" I had to pay attention--wondering just what other bigoted statements might come out of this clown's mouth. Well lo and behold, the first thing he says, "Oh you can't trust a Haitian..."

What...the...fuck!? How many Haitians do you think a guy who drives around in a 1988 Ford Econoline King Cab Van might have ever come in contact with? He did back up that statement with the ever so encompassing, "Well I did live in Southern Florida, so I have definitely seen a ton a Haitians." Oh...well in that case, touche sir, nothing more to see here...wait...no. So you're going to extrapolate, to all Haitian people, based on the limited knowledge you have that you can't trust a Haitian? Oh well do continue then good sir--and he most certainly did.

This fine specimen of a human then continued on to tell the subject of his verbal barrage that the Haitians not only don't deserve any help, that--yes indeed--they actually had it coming to them. Oh how Pat Robertson-esque of you, let me guess does it go back to the days when Haiti made a "deal with the devil", that now in some strange twist of events God has decided to fulfill? Douche isn't the word I'm looking for, but its up there.

At some point people like this need to be dealt with, and if there really was a God I'm convinced he would have done so by now. If I were a conniving man I could take the staunch opposite view of Pat Robertson and his ilk and pray to God that devastation hits Vatican City, and if they come asking for help I could have a blog that day titled, "Let them Eat Prayer", but fortunately I'm not as cynical as these so-called "holy" men. I wouldn't blame them for the devastation because things like this aren't a result of past transgressions they're random. Anyone who tries to say otherwise or that this was an act of God is flat lying; they should also be smacked in the face, hard.

----

Additionally yesterday, Massachusetts allowed a Republican to win the seat long held by Ted Kennedy. No there is no just kidding coming, this actually happened. I'm not exactly sure how something like this could happen, I mean its as likely as the state of California voting for Bush in an election, but it did.

So where do we go from here? All of the news outlets have been insisting that this is the end of the Health Care Reform push, and that the Democrats days are numbered. Oh, really? Why? This is a much larger pro-Democratic congress than Bush ever had and he basically got whatever he want simply by saying that if we didn't vote for this, then "the terrorists win". Maybe what we need is more hyperbole? Maybe the middle-class responds best to hyperbole, actually that's pretty obvious if you've seen anything that's come out of the Tea Parties.

It remains to be seen how this will affect the upcoming health care vote, but it surely can't be taken lightly and should be considered a referendum on President Obama. This one vote needs to be taken as a sign that he needs to be more aggressive and more forceful with his methods, don't seek the other side...they ignored us during the previous administration. Fuck Em. Do your thing, if they want to filibuster let them, and then pass the vote when they stop. Use Executive privilege, you didn't see Tea Parties when Bush abused the Executive branch, in fact they liked him. Do just that. If a vote you wanted to get through didn't pass, just stamp that shit and send it out. Quit waiting for the others to get on board...if you don't pretty soon there won't be enough of them...You're the leader, make the decisions and get it done. Please.

Day 48: How to Upset Your Fanbase

Well this past weekend the Vikings advanced to the NFC Championship for just the fourth time in my life. Never have they made it passed this round while I have been alive, so if I say my expectations are tempered you could probably understand why. This upcoming weekend the Vikings play the Saints with the winner going to Miami to play against the Colts (sorry Jets, there's no way you win again this weekend). So to say I'm nervous about the game is a bit of an understatement. Given that I've been an outspoken critic of many of the personnel and coaching decisions made by the Vikings in the past few years; even to the point, that I've sworn them off a few different times, seeing them get this close again makes me forget all of their past transgressions (although how do you not get ANYTHING for Randy Moss? I'll never figure that one out). To prove that superstitions are nothing to be worried about I'm going to offer up a prediction for this weekend's Vikings score.

Ready?? Here goes...

Minnesota 34

New Orleans 20

The difference being an interception late in the game by Drew Brees. Why am I so confident that the Vikings will win this game? Because if they don't they won't be in Minnesota by the end of the 2011 season. This game isn't just about this season, its about the franchise. If the Vikings somehow end up in the Superbowl against the Colts then Zygi Wilf can make a push in the Minnesota Senate for a publicly funded stadium for the Vikings. If they lose this weekend, they lose any of that "homerish" momentum needed to get a half-billion dollar stadium paid for by people struggling to make their mortgage payments in Hennepin County and then the Vikings move to Los Angeles and play here (notice the color scheme?). There's much more on the line this weekend than a simple game, at risk is 49 years of tradition in Minnesota, at risk is disenfranchising one of the more vocal NFL markets, at risk is Ragnar wearing skinny jeans and Kanye style sunglasses rather then chaps and Wranglers, and most of all at risk is an economic engine in the heart of Minneapolis. This weekend means much more than a trip to the Super Bowl, its also a critical moment for one of the most beloved franchises in the sport along with what could be a crucial blow to the Minneapolis sports culture and economy.

My question to Zygi Wilf is: Why not just buy the surrounding buildings, renegotiate the terms of the Metrodome Lease agreement, and renovate the interior to accommodate more luxury boxes while playing the 2011 season at TCF Bank Field (which is just three miles down Washington)? Why does the State of Minnesota have to pick up the tab for a privately funded company?

So maybe if the Vikings do manage two more wins this season, then that fervent fanaticism that's sure to accompany the fanbase will translate into taking a more realistic look at what it takes to keep the Purple Curtain in Minnesota. If not, well then I'll be the first in line to get my Los Angeles Vikings of Minnesota tickets for the start of the 2012 season. But here's hoping that we never see this.