The Ballad of Sham Wow!

The other day Leslie and I were at the store and our curiosity overtook us and we decided to purchase a Sham Wow pack. I am here to warn you all not to be duped like we were. There is more of an emphasis on the 'SHAM' then the 'WOW'.

PRICKERS IN 2012!

Getting Old(er)

On Sunday I'll be turning 29. One year away from the "dirty thirty". I don't think I'm getting that "I feel old" vibe like many of my friends do. I'm okay with the number. I don't mind getting older, but I refuse to grow up. The difference between little kid J.P. and adult J.P. is the paycheck. I still buy Star Wars toys and comics, but I also buy ottoman's and electric toothbrushes. In one of my columns for Komic Sutra where I lamented about getting older and acting more mature, I compared buying a new car to a, "...more expensive addition to my collection of adult stuff." Now instead of a Darth Vader statue or a video game system, I find myself saving for a house. Adults are nerds of a different nature; you're still accumulating mostly useless items that matter to no one but yourself. My comic library is about as uninteresting to you as your new lawnmower is to me.

Leslie and I went out to Pottery Barn on New Years and dropped a bunch of cash on a new entertainment center. It houses all of our video games and our powerhouse television. It's kind of an immature adult purchase. And if I had my way I would fill the empty shelves with action figures. This is my balance between childhood and adulthood.

Sometimes I get sad when I see myself making more adult decisions. Trading in chocolate milk for Cinnamon Dolce Latte with not-fat and no whip. Being a kid was just so much easier. I didn't care about the economy or politics. My biggest concern was whatever toy was advertised on TV last and how soon could you get me to Toys R Us. Even though I'm going through the motions, I still can't help but feel like a kid playing adult. I do things not because they seem like the best choice, but because it seems like something an adult would do.

One thing I never hope to lose touch with is that sense of wonder that kids look at everything with. Every day should still hold a new adventure and new experiences.

As for having kids ourselves, the tried and true sign of adulthood, there are no plans thus far. And truthfully, that decision is totally up to Leslie. If she wants to that's fine, if she doesn't want to I'm okay with that too. Sometimes I think this world is so crappy, who would ever want to bring a child into it. And then sometimes I think that there are so many kids out there without parents if anything we should adopt. The self-loathing part of me thinks my genes don't offer anything much to an offspring. Leslie on the other hand is brilliant and would no doubt make an incredible descendant.

And please don't think I didn't notice that I differentiate the age groups solely on what purchases they make. There's obviously much more to it then that. It's no secret that I can be pretty materialistic. That's something that hasn't changed in me since I was a kid. Hopefully that is proof that I'll never fully grow up.

My Top 10 Albums of the Year

I know, not very original. Even my mother has posted a list of her Top 10 albums of the year. What's a fanboy to do? I can't be left behind! I need to follow the trends. So without further ado, here is my list of my ten favorite albums in 2008.

10. MC Chris - MC Chris is Dead
9. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
8. Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
7. Does It Offend You Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into
6. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
5. Born Ruffians - Red Yellow & Blue
4. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
3. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...
2. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
1. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive


I really thought that Vampire Weekend's album was going to take the number one spot, but I really fell head over iPod for the newest Hold Steady. It doesn't hurt that we also got to see them live twice this year. I'm also totally in love with Los Campesinos! who released two full length albums this year.

Other honorable mentions include Bon Iver - For Emma Forever Ago (even if it is a bit overrated), Titus Andronicus - The Airing of Grievances, T.I. - Paper Trail (representing the ATL), the other Los Campesinos! album, We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed.

It was a pretty good year for music. A handful of awesome debuts, and a few new albums from a few old favorites. I hope we can expect the same in 2009.