I did not just watch the Victoria’s Secret fashion show on CBS. I didn’t just waste an hour watching no less than 50 gorgeous women walking across a stage wearing next to nothing. I definitely didn’t say “I really want to change the channel right now, but I just can’t bring myself to.” And I most certainly did not have anything better to do from 10 to 11pm tonight.

I swear I totally didn’t.

The Daily Show does such a great job of providing comedy yet remaining sensitive while covering international tragedies. Last night’s reaction to the Mumbai attacks was a perfect example because it also contained a hefty dose of profane catharsis, making for a very satisfying bit.

Here we are at another December, a fine time of year when temperatures in all sorts of places other than where I live start dropping to unbearable lows.  It also brings the standard “year in review” lists and a big fat dose of holiday cheer, the latter of which is never lost on me.

This month I’ll be reviving my top 10 Christmas specials/movies list, which apparently was unceremoniously destroyed when I moved my blog from Blogger to my own domain.  No worries, though…  I’m always full of good will at this time of year so I don’t mind re-writing it.  I also have a special holiday video in the works and no doubt the usual rants and raves.  I’ll even tell you about the true meaning of Christmas from the view of a devout agnostic.

But I’ll start the season out right with a Christmas card from me to you.  Season’s greetings!

While browsing CNN today, I came across a story about a 20-year-old Chinese student who was, shockingly, bitten by a panda bear when he jumped into its zoo enclosure and tried to hug it. If that story sounds as familiar to you as it did to me, it’s because the same thing happened just two years ago.

What’s the deal with people thinking they can hug a 500 pound beast without getting seriously messed up? And why is everyone’s choice the panda? If you dropped me into a pit with a couple of those things, I’d more or less be scared shitless. I would think one would be more inclined to hug, say, a Koala bear, which is much smaller but ten times nastier and would leave an entertaining series of scars that you could tell the grandchildren about.

As punishment to anyone who chooses to throw logic out the window but avoids their deserved fate of having their face ripped off by a wild animal, they should be forced to hug every other animal in the zoo at least once, starting with the porcupine and ending with the giant boa constrictor if they make it that far. Whatever limbless body that can emerge from that test will probably have learned its lesson.

Every year of my life, I learn a little bit about myself (I really can say the alphabet backwards while intoxicated). Every year, I marvel at how my life has developed over the past 365 days, how I’ve changed, the people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve had, and how life never ceases to fascinate me. This year was all that, plus a little more. I think I may have grown up more in the past year of my life than in the rest of my 20s combined, for a number of reasons.

As a disclaimer, I still enjoy many childish, stupid things. But much of my life so far has been wallowing in a tepid pool of immaturity, one that I’ve seemingly started to climb out of at least a little during the ripe old age of 25. I grew out of a few behaviors that I never pictured myself growing out of. I finally had some tangible realization that I am, in fact, not invincible—something that just about every guy has to discover, I think, but no less grounding of an experience even when you know it’s coming.

I started occasionally feeling like an adult for the first time in my life, too. After a few years of watching many of my friends and former classmates getting married, I thought I must be way behind in thinking marriage sounded like the most insane idea in the world to me right now. It still does, of course, but it was just that feeling that came along with it, the feeling that I’d never start feeling “grown up,” that I started shedding a bit recently. One weird moment was the day I finally realized that I can literally do anything I want, any time I want. Wanna go to Hawaii for a week? I can do that. Want to drive to San Francisco just to look at seals on the wharf for a weekend? No one will stop me. It seems such a stupid thing that I should have known all along, but it just never even occurred to me until now. Those seem to be the things that made me start becoming a little more self-aware and grown up—things that I felt like I should have known all along, but were inexplicably foreign to me.

But I think the biggest step in this latest chapter’s awkward stumble into adulthood was the shocking (and slightly horrifying) epiphany that the mindset of feeling young never really does change too much. Sure, you may feel a little older and a little wiser, but there’s not going to be a magic switch at age 40 that makes me feel like a responsible grown up. I’m still probably going to feel more or less how I feel now in another 20 years. It makes sense, of course. How many 50 year olds have made stupid, childish decisions? Plenty. Remember thinking how old a 45 year old seemed when you were a kid, but you couldn’t understand why they always insisted, “Hey, I’m not old yet!”

And along with that bit of knowledge comes the slightly more disturbing part: it never is going to get any easier. In fact, all the easiest stuff is behind me. Being a kid and wanting so hard to be “grown up” was the easiest time I’ll ever have for the rest of my life. But you’d never understand that as a child.

So here’s to another year of learning, another year of exploring, another year of living. I have a long way to go (hopefully), so I’d better roll up my sleeves and prepare for the road ahead. And when anyone asks me if I feel older today, my answer will be simple: no! Now that I’m starting to feel like an adult, 26 seems pretty damn young, indeed!

Kings of Leon had just been a name to me for a long time, one of a slew of bands that were still under my radar but many other people seemed to know about.  Even as a musician, I’m not great about keeping up with new artists unless they fall right into my lap.  But I’m happy when they do, especially when it turns out I like their style.

A few weeks ago I heard a song on the radio in my car that jumped out at me.  It was simple and full of energy, with a chorus (complete with a great ascending guitar line) that made me want to throw my hand in the air and step on the gas pedal a little harder.  Its immediacy grabbed me so much I had to know who it was, and luckily I got my answer from the DJ right after it was finished: Kings of Leon.  I knew that name.  I had never heard a single song of theirs until then that I knew of.  I’d have to look into this band a little more…

After looking them up online, I discovered that the song was “Sex on Fire,” the first single from their newest album, Only By The Night.  It wouldn’t get out of my head, and I welcomed it with open ears each subsequent time I heard it on the airwaves.  Curious to hear the rest of the album, I got to take a listen thanks to a friend.  While none of the rest of the disc quite captures the energy of the single, I found myself pleasantly surprised with what I heard.  The songs definitely have an “indie” feel to them, from the sound of the recording to their song structures (off the top of my head, I can’t think of a single song that has a traditional bridge or C section, which is really surprising), and I found a handful of them to be very memorable.

The album does suffer somewhat from the dreaded “second half lull,” very likely due in part to the singer’s voice: unique but a bit grating to my ears after a little while, and very often sung in the same range throughout the album.  That, coupled with the fact that the tempos become more consistently sluggish along the way, is a major reason for this lull.  But overall I think it’s pretty solid, and I’d definitely recommend taking a listen if the band intrigues you.  From what I can tell, this new album is pretty different from their older stuff, so I’ll have to dive into their discography a little more to get some perspective.

One quick gripe about iTunes: I rarely have the will to purchase music from the iTunes store because I’d much rather have a full-quality audio CD than download an MP3, but I’m really glad I heard this album from a friend who got it from Apple because of the bonus track that was included, “Frontier City.”  This is easily one of the best songs on the album, and you can ONLY get it if you buy it on iTunes.  Gee thanks, Apple!  Punish me for wanting better sound, why don’t you?

Here in LA, I’m very pleasantly surprised by a recent development in local radio: a newer station called The Sound at 100.3 FM.  With props to 98.7 for playing Shaimus a couple months ago, in my mind The Sound is without a doubt the best station in Southern California right now.

Finally a station has emerged that recognizes that there is a ton of great music out there, from the hits we all know and love to indispensable album tracks and songs from lesser-played artists.  It’s better than the all-indie stations because it will still bust out “Living on a Prayer” just when you need it; it’s better than the commercial stations, because you’ll hear “Subterranean Homesick Alien” by Radiohead instead of “Creep” and “Karma Police” over and over again.  They play brand new songs, and they play songs from 1967.  They play artists that other stations won’t even touch.  And they even have good taste—the 100.3 website says their only goal is to play the best rock music made to date.  Pure and simple.  They don’t even play very many commercials.

If you’re not in SoCal, I’d recommend streaming The Sound via their website and giving them a try. I’ve never heard a music station that “got it” quite like they seem to, and I really hope it sticks around.

Waiting in a long line to vote this morning wasn’t particularly entertaining, especially since I didn’t feel too well.  But at least it filled me with patriotism and earned me a sticker that can secure some free Ben & Jerry’s.  They have a pretty awesome new flavor called Pumpkin Cheesecake that combines two of my favorite things in one mind-blowing little pint.  Then there’s the Cinnamon Bun flavor, and the classic Chubby Hubby, and…  Wait.  I’m going slightly off topic.

As some of you know I avoid politics as much as possible for this blog, but I’m very eagerly anticipating tonight’s results (mostly because I can’t wait for these damn campaigns to finally be over).  It’s kinda fun being a part of something so huge.  And now that I’ve cast my ballot, the hardest decision I’ll have to make is what flavor my free ice cream cone will be.

On a side note, today is the day that “Like a Fool” by Shaimus is officially available as a free download to anyone and everyone who bought Rock Band 2… So while you’re awaiting our next President, you should probably rock that out!

From “Michael McDonald” and me:

Unbelievable. Unforgettable. Unreal. Indescribable. And now, completely undeniable. I didn’t know what to do with myself today. I couldn’t sit still. I couldn’t calm down. I couldn’t think about anything but how great yesterday was, and what a rollercoaster of emotion this whole thing has been. What a way to end such an incredible season. There were flashbacks to key moments this year; to recent disappointments; to Joe Carter; to watching a team for my whole life and just wondering what it would be like if they won it all. The feeling of loving this particular cast of characters, and knowing I’d feel devastated if they didn’t get what I truly felt like they deserved.

The 1993 Phillies were a colorful bunch, for sure. But this Phillies team was just as special, and the gift they gave me of watching my team in a World Series for the first time since I was 10 years old made me appreciate them even more. Chase Utley, a cornerstone of the team, a still seemingly unsung player with the best stats of any second baseman in baseball for the past few years. He made the team a force to be reckoned with by storming out of the gates with an MVP first-half performance. He is the very essence of a great all around player that can lead by example.

Ryan Howard can bring some mixed reactions from some people, but the fact still stands: even when he slumps, a pitcher must fear him. You never know when he will bust out of that slump with a home run binge that will make everyone else look like they belong in little league. For every defensive error, he provided a genuinely impressive play at first base. Don’t criticize how often he strikes out; recognize that he gets more RBIs in a year than most players can even dream of. Oh, and we share a birthday, so he must be cool.

Jimmy Rollins had an unusually mediocre year. But the fact is, the 2007 NL MVP is a born leader and part of the heart and soul of the Phillies. Pat “The Bat” Burrell may be gone soon, but I’m glad he was a part of this win. I don’t care about all the times he under performed, and I don’t care that he’s slow. He played a huge role in the Championship season.

What more can one say about Victorino? An amazing player with versatility and drive. Aaron who? Shane is our center fielder. Werth stepped up big time and filled in for a disappointing Jenkins (who had one hell of a big hit in Game 5). Feliz had some clutch hits (including the game winner for the Series) and was an obvious step up from Wes Helms. Ruiz showed me that he is one of the smartest and most patient batters on the team, despite his modest batting average. Coste has heart and can swing a bat. Bruntlett proved to be an indespensible utility man. Dobbs and Stairs (or Stairmaster as I call him) are clutch pinch hitters.

And how about that pitching staff? Cole the 24 year old ace, Myers the minor league comeback story of the year, old man Moyer and his bafflingly slow but well-placed pitches, Blanton and his World Series home run, Romero, Madson (bridge to Lidge), the whole rest of the bullpen, and let’s not forget Lights Out Lidge. How often do you get to see perfection?  Not very often.

This is a team that, when firing on all cylinders, is literally unstoppable. Most of these players are streaky, so the end result was very truly a team effort and a result of everyone’s contributions and Charlie Manuel’s superb managing (never really thought I’d ever say that).

And then there’s the city. The city of Philadelphia. The forgotten town that’s near New York. The birthplace of America. The home of some of the most passionate and interesting people in the country, who reflect the character and attitude of this very team. Starved for an opportunity to celebrate. Jaded by constant disappointment. Constantly haunted by feelings that everything is about to go downhill. I had ‘em right up to the last pitch. But they didn’t go downhill at all this time. Was it because William Penn is finally resting peacefully after his (small) statue was placed atop the Comcast building? Or was it just that we played good enough baseball this year, plain and simple?

Long waits have been a theme for this town. Long waits for a major Championship team. A long wait for the end of a sometimes-excruciatingly-long baseball season filled with so many ups and downs, hopes and doubts. And, in true “that would totally happen to us” Philadelphia fashion, a two day wait to even finish the final game of the World Series. Tuesday morning couldn’t have been worse for so many of us. Left to wonder what would happen while recovering from the emotional crash that followed a rain-suspended game. I was afraid I had lost the enthusiasm I had the night before because it came to such a screetching halt.

Those fears were unfounded, of course. I couldn’t have been more excited yesterday. I was shaking, scared shitless watching one of the most exciting games (er, half-games) of my entire life. Scratch that… the most exciting game of my life. I was in a Philly bar, surrounded by friends, friends-in-spirit, and even family. It erupted in joy; I always wanted to know what it would feel like if we won. I don’t have to wonder anymore. And I couldn’t be happier. Chugging champagne, not caring about the inevitable hangover that would follow. Driving home way too fast, blasting music (”Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen appropriately graced the airwaves that night). Happily tearing my “tortured Philly fan” t-shirt in half (pictured below). Happily dropping way too much money for all the merch I can handle. This is something I have been waiting for my entire life. And you know what? It wasn’t the least bit disappointing.

I’m sure Philly was insane. In fact, I know it was; I saw photos and videos. It looked awesome. I got a taste of that when I was in Boston when the Red Sox won (and the Patriots, three damn times). But deep down my heart was not at all into those. My heart sure was in Philly last night and all of today. Of course there are a few bad seeds — I heard about the 76 people getting arrested and couldn’t help but wonder if they did that on purpose, such an appropriate number. But for the rest of you, that must have been a lot of fun. And going to those games must have been incredible, though I was lucky enough to get to an NLCS game between the Phils and the Dodgers here in LA.

I considered flying home for the parade, but tickets were way too expensive. In the end, all I can really say is this: Philly, I wish I could have been there to share this moment with you. But you can rest assured I am there in spirit, along with every Philly fan around the world. A part of us was completed this week. PHILLIES WORLD SERIES CHAMPS 2008!!!