MY TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2008!

10.) John Mellencamp - Life, Death, Love & Freedom
9.) Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
8.) Beck - Modern Guilt
7.) The Fireman - Electric Arguments
6.) Nas - Untitled
5.) Coldplay - Viva La Vida
4.) Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
3.) Kings of Leon - Only By The Night
2.) TV On the Radio - Dear Science
1.) Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreaks

Now, I obviously didn't hear everything and seeing the end of the year Top 10 lists in the big music mags turned me on to a couple of these albums (admittedly, I'd been reluctant about TVOTR, but once I heard that album.... god damn!....). I have not really listened to Fleet Foxes or Vampire Weekend (though it seems you either love them or think they are the worst fucking band ever) but wouldn't mind giving them a chance.

Yesterday, I picked up Dylan's latest bootleg series and even though I haven't really absorbed it all yet, I wouldn't add it to a best of the year list because everything is from the past -- different versions of songs we've known for some time now.

Kanye's new album is simply brilliant. I can't think of a better word to describe it. Yes, he's kind of a dick. Yes, he waaaaaay to full of himself. Yes, he is annoying. But this album is the "Blood On the Tracks" of our time. The pain is real. The loss of his mother has destroyed him. It comes through every note on the album, auto-tuned or not (an effect I happen to love, by the way). As I sit here trying to describe it I realize how overwhelmed that album makes me feel.

THE TEAM

Updated with a lot of names because I've been an asshat and completely neglected my precious blog (that literally no one is reading). Nevertheless....

CHIEF OF STAFF -- Rahm Emanuel
WHITE HOUSE SPOKESPERSON -- Robert Gibbs
SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR -- David Axelrod
SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR -- Valerie Jarrett
WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL - Gregory Craig
ATTORNEY GENERAL - Eric Holder
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - Tom Daschle
HOMELAND SECURITY - Janet Napolitano
TREASURY - Timothy Geithner
OMB - Peter Orszag
STATE - Hillary Clinton
DEFENSE - Robert Gates
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR - General James Jones
UN AMBASSADOR - Susan Rice
COMMERCE - Bill Richardson
VETERANS AFFAIRS - Gen. Erik Shinseki
ENERGY - Steven Chu
EPA - Lisa Jackson
CLIMATE/ENERGY "CZARINA" - Carol Browner

I love the fact that Obama is appointing people that I know are smarter than me (i.e., Chu), because when I saw pea brains like Ashcroft and Norton nominated by Bush I couldn't help but think the head Peanut wanted his own Peanut Gallery. In other words, Bush just wanted "Yes" people around him. Obama seems to truly thirst for differences in opinion from very bright people. How refreshing.

I WAS MADE FOR LOVING... WAIT... WHAT?

Laughing so hard I nearly pissed myself.

THE TEAM

CHIEF OF STAFF -- Rahm Emanuel
WHITE HOUSE SPOKESPERSON -- Robert Gibbs
SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR -- David Axelrod
SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR -- Valerie Jarrett
WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL - Gregory Craig
ATTORNEY GENERAL - Eric Holder
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - Tom Daschle
HOMELAND SECURITY - Janet Napolitano
TREASURY - Timothy Geithner
OMB - Peter Orszag
STATE - Hillary Clinton
DEFENSE - Robert Gates
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR - General James Jones
UN AMBASSADOR - Susan Rice
COMMERCE - Bill Richardson

Richardson brings more rock star to this team. Clearly he is a dedicated public servant with some know-how. My gut tells me Richardson will have a bigger role to play down the road in Obama's administration. Really, where does he go after this?

WORST. CHOICE. EVER.

NBC picks David Gregory to moderate "Meet the Press." Are they trying to drive viewers away? Are they purposely trying to bore everyone? What is is that this guy has that NBC sees but no one else does? I mean, it's pretty unanimous: He's dreadful.

THE TEAM

CHIEF OF STAFF -- Rahm Emanuel
WHITE HOUSE SPOKESPERSON -- Robert Gibbs
SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR -- David Axelrod
SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR -- Valerie Jarrett
WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL - Gregory Craig
ATTORNEY GENERAL - Eric Holder
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - Tom Daschle
HOMELAND SECURITY - Janet Napolitano
TREASURY - Timothy Geithner
OMB - Peter Orszag
STATE - Hillary Clinton
DEFENSE - Robert Gates
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR - General James Jones
UN AMBASSADOR - Susan Rice

Even with my negative feelings towards Clinton and Gates, I think this is turning out to be one incredible team.