Pictures of food in Manhattan? I thought you'd never ask!

Advice of the day

See a movie in theaters on your own. It's a great way to get some me-time and to focus completely on the movie, which is nice if it's one you really wanted to see. Get a snack while you're at it (twizzlers are my go-to theater candy), or if you are feeling extra special get loaded nachos, a liter-uh-cola, and a 4 gallon vat of popcorn. We all don't do this enough and I find it comical how shocked some people get when I tell them I went alone. My response: Have you tried it?

Movie I wanted to see alone, procrastinated, and now have to wait til it's on dvd: The Road

Movie that makes me want to shank you if you dare mention it: The Tooth Fairy

New York City,

Thank you for reminding me what a much more exciting and expensive life would have been like.

Non-resident

5 Best Songs of 2009

#1 My Girls - Animal Collective

I was blown away by this one the first time I heard it. I'm still blown away. The song has so many layers, and when combined they flow like nothing I've heard before. Merriweather Post Pavilion is being regarded as one of the best albums of the year and the decade. The album speaks for itself, really. Another good song from the album: Brother Sport. I think we can expect good things from Animal Collective in the future.

5 Best Songs of 2009

#2 Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
When the Yeah Yeah Yeahs came out with It's Blitz! in 2009 I was very skeptical. They have been one of my favorites for a while now and I love them for their raw, powerful sound. I think we can pretty much agree that Fever To Tell will go down as one of the greats, so when their slowed-down "dance" album was released I thought, "Where did their sound go?" It took me a few months to adjust to it and realize that the album works. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs prove their versatility with this record and Zero is a good example of that.

Now press play, strip down to your skivvies, and shake it.

  
Brett: "On a rampage...it's lost it completely."
This is the Mongrel in her truest form. Check out the "Eye of the Mong".

5 Best Songs of 2009

#3 Help I'm Alive - Metric

I hadn't heard of Metric until they played on Pandora one day while I was listening. This song off of Fantasies immediately jumped out at me.

5 Best Songs of 2009

#4 1901 - Phoenix
Although it's being ruined by a Cadillac commercial, this is a great song off of the French band Phoenix's album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. One of the better albums of 2009, too.

5 Best Songs of 2009

#5 Coldplay - The Hardest Part/Postcards From Far Away (Live)
Coldplay was nice enough to release a free live album this year called LeftRightLeftRightLeft. On it they turned this oldie into a goodie by stripping it down. I can barely remember the original version now that I've heard this one.

Snow likes to wire my brain so that I listen to one song on repeat. Right now it's this song.