"For Last Year's Words Belong To Last Year's Language, And Next Year's Words Await Another Voice"

The ball drops. Its flashing lights illuminate an unpaved road. Confetti falls. Men lean in for a kiss; the women make it last a lifetime. Champagne is downed. Strangers embrace. Fireworks erupt across the sky. One year dies. Another is born. Indeed, a new year has arrived.

2010 was tumultuous. Ups and downs were experienced in equal measure. The only thing that remained consistent was change - unflinching change that dared one to defy it. We could not feel the immediate effects of change, because life moves too fast to allow for sudden assessments of our rapidly developing lives. Imagine where you were last New Year's Eve, and note your personal differences today. Let your progression sink in.

For many, New Year's equates to a rebirth in which previous tribulations are relinquished and clean slates are given to all. Truthfully, it is still only a continuation. As Maximus might say, "Our actions last year will still echo throughout our eternity." Previous actions will not be undone once the ball has dropped in Time Square. Our earthly dispositions will remain quite the same. But New Year's still serves a purpose.

New Year's is perfect in its own way. It allows us to succinctly encapsulate the defining moments in our lives through a measurable timeframe. The world endured innumerable heartbreaks and countless smiles, and our lives are no exception. These moments of sadness and bliss shape the aforementioned change we regularly undergo. Once one can trace the genesis of this constant change, it can be easier to grasp and cope with along the journey.

On New Year's this year, I implore you not to shed your experiences from the previous year, but to carry them with you as building blocks and not burdens. For truly, the unforgettable memories made in the last 365 days will last much longer than the half-hearted resolutions made on January 1st, regardless of that dreaded nuisance known as change.

I Believe A Bit Of Thanks Is In Order...

Today is Thanksgiving, a holiday of many meanings. Thanksgiving can represent a groundbreaking historical event, or a free pass to gorge on food until belts are loosened and eyelids become as heavy as sandbags. These are valid representations of the holidays and they are certainly beloved by all Americans, but I find meaning in another area. I tend to ignore the historical sentiment due to the misrepresented nature of the pilgrims and Native Americans story and how it almost seems like a children's parable for preaching tolerance. And while I enjoy a tryptophan-filled feast as much as anyone, I still look elsewhere to fulfill my true definition of the holiday. My favorite, and most essential, part of Thanksgiving is recognizing the blessing I have received and giving thanks.

So, what am I thankful for? The entire list could fill volumes. I'm thankful that for the next three days I can listlessly ignore schoolwork. That the Bengals are playing the nightcap so I can fall asleep sooner. That my dog has miraculously made it to his thirteenth Turkey Day. That I can eat obscene amounts of food and my weight won't budge. That my extremities are fully functioning and showing no signs of slowing. That I can perceive a sunset and a starry night sky. The thankfulness would never end. However, there are certain aspects in my life that are too often taken for granted, and which deserve compliments and accolades until the end of time. Thanksgiving provides me the opportunity to reflect on these highlights of my being, and I do so graciously and humbly.

Family - I cannot begin to imagine how life would be without my family. They never cease to entertain, to surprise, to infuriate. Living out of the house supplies a perspective on family that can sometimes be sad and alarming. I come home periodically and my little brother has grown another inch and is looking like me more and more each day, or the tree in the backyard has been cut down, or my baby sister seems less and less like a baby. I have to cherish every moment I'm around them, for fear that quality family moments are becoming a rarity, indeed a memory. My parents have held us together with precision, and their efforts are often unseen at first but felt years down the road when familial bonds are unbreakable. All ten of us sitting at the dinner table, eyeing the impending feast and sharing glances at each other with pure, indescribable joy, brings a sensation of tranquility to my heart and I will always have my family to thank for that.

Friends - I'll admit, I can be tough to deal with sometimes. I'm either bitching about some troubling event on my mind, or keeping to myself and remaining guarded. I'm often very set in my ways and my stubbornness can manifest itself in frustrating arguments and failed attempts at ingenuity. Even though I try my best not to, I can fall into these characteristic tropes of my life quite easily. Sometimes I wonder how my friends put up with it. They are resolutely optimistic and have, on the whole, never failed to stand by me when I needed help most. Keeping my spirits up is never an issue for them, and I can't possibly think of a fun situation I have encountered in the past year where they have not been involved. Even though I may not deserve them, my group of friends cannot be topped, and I am forever grateful.

My Future - The past is tough to reconcile, and the present is often daunting, but the future always has hope. These words run through my head and sometimes posture as a moral code for me. Obviously, some of my best days are behind me, and the things I find enjoyable today are quietly being phased out with each year I get older. Still, life has proven to be unpredictable and exciting beyond measure. If the next six years of my life are filled with as many fulfilling memories as the last six, then I'll be the most fortunate guy in the world. Even if my future looked inexorably bleak, with no expectations of wealth or grandeur or spiritual fulfillment, there is still reason for hope. There's always an obstacle out there waiting to be conquered, or a job to be mastered, or a beautiful woman to be loved, and even a young child to call you "Dad". These life hallmarks may be a bit down the road for me, but I can think of no other way but to give profuse thanks that I am can foresee a life where all these events are attainable - and the hope that the best things in life are yet to come.

It's Been A Summer

The background on my laptop is generally indicative of my mood and thoughts at any given time. Usually, as many can attest to, these backgrounds are comprised of movie stills or posters that have been weighing on my mind for awhile. However, for the past few weeks a much different picture has been on display as my background. The picture is that of a summer sun setting behind the legendary rock formation known as Stonehenge.

This picture is hardly uncommon or revelatory. In fact, I'd be willing that over a million people throughout the world have this as their background. Its popularity can surely be quantified in its depiction of a moment so tranquil and pure: a sunset. In this case, the Stonehenge sunset is a near perfect metaphor to my dwindling summer. It's a thing of beauty, and I want to capture it forever. But this moment won't last, and, true enough, the sunset and the summer will soon be remembered as only memories.

The "dawn" of my summer merely seems like yesterday. I was shipped back to my hometown of Peoria practically against my will. How could I leave Champaign so quickly? The past nine months had been a treasure chest filled with good times, amazing people, and life experiences that could not be easily forgotten. How could Peoria ever compare? So, there I was facing the conundrum most college kids encounter after their freshman year: how to spend the summer at home?

One option is to complain about how boring and shitty your team is, which in Peoria's case, is a frequent complaint. Truthfully, I subscribed to this viewpoint amidst the first few weeks back in Peoria, even going as far as tallying a countdown until I was back in Champaign. In hindsight, this act was quite foolish of me; if I continued down this wretched path I would have destroyed one of my last summers in my prime.

Instead, I wised up and chose the only reasonable option: livin' it up. We were in a funk during that horrible month of June, due to various circumstances. One of the reasons is that we just plain weren't having fun. The keys to having a fun summer are as follows: do the things you enjoy the most, but combine with a sprinkle of effort and planning, and a dash of creativity. The event that brought us out of our summer slump was the creation of the Wing Tour. My group of friends loves to eat wings, and we had not tried many wing joints outside of Buffalo Wild Wings. Every Tuesday from that night on we had a place to convene, shoot the shit, and enjoy each other's company while simultaneously devouring any wing Peoria had to offer. The summer took off from there, with activities including, but not limited to, mini-golf tournaments, jersey parties, adventures in Chicago, and large house parties known for rowdy behavior. A summer that had once looked weak and uneventful had turned into a summer to remember.

During this summer of love (not really) I began to contemplate the nature of summer, though. Being a fall man myself, I couldn't help but realize that I enjoyed this summer much more than previous summers. This could be due to the brutal winter that ravaged Champaign during the notoriously bitter winter season in Central Illinois. I attribute it more to the general attitude of everyone during the summer months. Self-confidence, not arrogance, is raised to unseen levels. Everyone looks beautiful in the summer, sporting beach bodies and bronze tans and the ever-present smiles caused by the carefree summer breeze. Who could not like this time of year? I tried to cherish the summer even more than usual because of the waning enjoyable summers in my future. Soon, my summers will be comprised of stuffy cubicles and longing glances at the sunshine seeping through the window. It's a thought that won't come to pass for another 5-10 years, but it's a thought that's been eating away at me for awhile. If anything, I would hope that all of you reading could do yourself the biggest favor and enjoy the rest of your painless summers more than ever, because one day the summer days aren't going to mean the same as they used to, and a summer is a terrible thing to waste.

Pixar Power Rankings

I love power rankings. I love the whole idea of them - positioning certain items in order of value or production or value. Power rankings are highly subjective and because of this fact, it is extremely likely to spark lively debate amongst people, especially in the comments section of various websites and blogs. Frequenting power rankings for in-season sports is a favorite pastime of mine, and there's enough of these websites to keep me entertained for the rest of my life. Because of these factors, power rankings will be a staple of future blog posts. These rankings won't be relegated to just sports, but to a wide variety of topics that all of you can relate to in some form or another.

This first edition of power rankings is as accessible as they come: Pixar movies. These films have entertained and inspired a whole generation to witness how exciting and beautiful a kid's movie can really be. Pixar's catalogue of movies is not strictly for kids though; with each year I get older I feel like the themes Pixar movies' present resonate more within me, and I laugh louder and more often with each subsequent movie released. I truly believe at some point in the future that this time period will be remembered fondly as a couple of decades where Pixar captured our hearts and imaginations, and allowed for anybody at any age to dream about the countless possibilities life has to offer. With Toy Story 3 currently in theaters, I have compiled my power ranking of the Pixar films. Feel free to submit your own rankings in the comments section, or in some other social network commenting area.

10. Cars

Cars is by far the worst Pixar movie, and that is actually a huge compliment. It's comparable to being the dumbest student at Harvard: you're still smarter than 99% of the population and will, in all likelihood, have a six-figure straight out of school. Same thing with Cars. It's better than all of the other animated kid's movies you see, except it's not as funny, and the story is not as compelling as the other Pixar gems we've come to love. John Lasseter, the one who started it all with Toy Story, directed Cars and one would expect a certain level of quality that comes with him in the director's chair. However, despite the initial disappointment, the movie is actually incredibly re-watchable and provides enough laughs and heart to give adults and kids an enjoyable time, even if it's not your favorite Pixar outing.

9. A Bug's Life

From this point forward, one could make a reasonable argument for an Pixar movie in the remaining nine spots. My ninth slot goes to Pixar's second movie, A Bug's Life. This tale of an ant trying to defend his own anthill while also trying to regain his honor is one of the most exciting Pixar movies made. The action is fast-paced and the villains, the ferocious grasshoppers, are terrifying. In addition, the supporting bugs that Flik recruits are absolutely hilarious, led by Denis Leary who voices a ladybug. Co-directed by Lasseter and newcomer Andrew Stanton (aka the man), A Bug's Life delivers plenty of action, laughs, and "aw cute" moments to provide for a rollicking good hour and a half.

8. The Incredibles

Some might accuse me of blasphemy for placing The Incredibles this far down the list. It's only for minor reasons, mainly the story premise being almost a carbon copy of the beloved Watchmen graphic novel. Pixar takes the story to new heights and that's why it makes the ranking. The director is Brad Bird, who is the closest thing Pixar has to an auteur, and who also has used his Pixar success to catapult himself to the next director in the Mission: Impossible

series (note: I do not consider this a step up). The Incredibles is certainly the most interesting looking Pixar film, with the animation design akin to a mix of the classic, gorgeous look of other Pixar flicks and the grittier look of Bird's previous movie The Iron Giant. Even with the Watchmen comparisons, The Incredibles stands on its own because of its strong narrative and interesting characters that are extremely relatable, despite the superpowers.

7. Monsters, Inc.

Monsters, Inc. is so funny that it is easy to miss the high concept tale Pixar constructed. The premise is an allegory for an energy crisis, where the city the monsters inhabit is powered by the screams of terrified children. Pete Docter's first directorial effort thankfully does not expound on this allegory further, but allows the kid part of the movie to flourish. John Goodman and Billy Crystal do a fantastic job voicing Sulley and Mike Wazowski, and the dynamic between the characters of Sulley and Boo, especially some heartbreaking scenes where Sulley believes he's lost Boo forever, really elevate this film to higher ground. Monsters, Inc. was one of the early examples of Pixar's uncanny ability to keep the audience on the edge of their seats, but also having them emotionally invested in the outcomes of each character's story line. Do not consider this a minor work of Pixar's, as I could see this cracking the top 5 of many lists.

6. Ratatouille

If I were compiling this list at a younger age, say seven or eight, I would probably put Ratatouille last on my list. Something about rats cooking and the lack of high-tempo scenes would not have sat well with my younger, squirrelly self. However, I took a better liking to it seeing it at the age of sixteen. I learned a good deal about food and cooking, and really enjoyed the theme of following your dreams. The make-or-break-it scene that left most audience members and above the age of sixteen in a state of admiration where notoriously bitter critic Anton Ego finally relinquishes his hatred and loves a food dish that has been cooked by, none other than, a rat. Many of us, myself included, tend to critique things in life rather harshly; possibly because we have become jaded as we've become older or because we feel the need to establish our intellectual superiority over everyone else. Ratatouille shows that there is an undeniable beauty in something - whether it be a song, a movie, or a meal - that transports us back to a simpler time, where life was pure and the pleasures in life could be enjoyed properly. For Anton Ego, the unlikely rodent-cooked meal provided an epiphany to change his bitter ways before it was too late, and simultaneously Ratatouille offers the same option to the audience.

5. Up

Up is a truly delightful movie. The film is steeped in a creative, if not quirky, premise that director Pete Docter crafts into a wondrous adventure across the globe. Carl Fredrickson and his young counterpart Russell set out with different agendas at the outset of the story, but by the end their paths are united in saving an endangered bird, and, in the process, save Carl's life as well. Mr. Fredrickson serves as a welcome notice to kids and adults alike to follow their ambitions no matter what their age. Even though I rank as the number five Pixar movie overall, it has far and away the best five minutes in any Pixar film ever (here's the link if you need reminding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GroDErHIM_0). Not only is this the ultimate tearjerker, but also an accurate, albeit brief, portrayal how quickly life can go by and how our dreams can dissipate even quicker. Docter seems to remind the audience that the opportunities to in life are as plentiful as the balloons used to make Carl's house float, and that it is never too late to start your great adventure.

4. Toy Story 2

For the longest time, ever since I saw it in theater for the first in 1999 actually, I always considered Toy Story 2 my favorite over its predecessor, Toy Story. Part of preference for the sequel came from my dislike of any confrontation, and thusly I enjoyed Buzz and Woody as friends more than their enemy status in the first one. However, after watching the two recently, I gave Toy Story the slight edge. Toy STory 2 is no slouch, though. This time around Lasseter co-directs with Lee Unkrich, the future director of the third installment of the trilogy, and it runs the gamut from action to adventure to Pixar's trademark poignancy. The classic opening scene is fun and exhilarating, and as a young lad it was my great ambition to be in a video game as cool as a Buzz Lightyear one. Also, a Star Wars reference has never been as fun as the one that plays out at the end of Toy Story 2 between Buzz and the evil Emperor Zerg. The best scene appears when Lasseter and Randy Newman reassert their musical genius with a heartfelt song detailing the falling out between Jessie and her owner (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px0j1EHF8Y0&feature=related). Jessie's story, a foreshadowing of Toy Story 3, hangs over Woody's difficult decision to either stay with Andy or join his cowboy compatriots in a world famous museum. Luckily, Woody is reminded of how special he is to Woody and paves the way for a redemptive second chance for Jessie to be loved by a new owner, a lesson we can all live by.

3. Toy Story

Pixar's first feature film is arguably its best, and, admittedly, it is hard to top Toy Story. The revolutionary CG animation that has become the Pixar norm is incredible to look at and Randy Newman crafted one of the most iconic songs in the history of movies in "You've Got a Friend In Me". Beyond that, the movie is hilarious. I'm serious, go back and watch it and you'll find little nuggets of humor that you had no idea of back in your six-year-old days. The theme that elevates Toy Story above the average animated fare is its exposition on alienation and becoming second-rate. Toy Story handles this in a kid friendly manner, but it's heady material. Everyone has had a falling out with a best friend and girlfriend, and if that's not depressing enough, generally the replacement friend/girlfriend/boyfriend replaces you right in front of your own eyes. Woody experiences this first-hand, and the confusion he feels is a sensation we can all relate to. I attribute my preference for Toy Story 2 in my younger years to not wanting to relive this painful conflict - not in real life, and certainly not in a movie. But this is the essence of what makes Toy Story a classic - it addresses these issues head on and then gives a blueprint on how to solve such a crisis. In the end, Buzz and Woody form a friendship, and Andy appreciates them equally.

2. Finding Nemo

It is a firm belief of mine that one could watch Finding Nemo with no sound at all and still be mesmerized throughout the entire running time. The use of the vast spaces of ocean combined with the lush colors of the sea creatures creates a visual splendor that cannot be topped. Fortunately, director Andrew Stanton is much more intelligent than I, and included witty dialogue along with unusually likeable characters. On a sheer entertainment level, Finding Nemo succeeds by providing scares (horrifying intro), laughs (Crush the turtle and Dory), and genuine familial interaction (Marlin and Nemo). Stanton has a near perfect animated feature on his hands that wows the audience and doesn't beat them over the head with action and gags. Rather, Stanton ground the movie in up-tempo storytelling and character archetypes that are as fresh as the ocean world Nemo explores for us. Side note: check out this hilarious spoof poster parodying the gulf situation: http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/06/16/bp-inspired-finding-nemo-2-posters/.

1. WALL-E

Two things I know for certain in this life: the Beatles will always be the best band music has ever seen, and WALL-E will always elicit a child-like joy within me that defies any boundaries or limits. To say WALL-E is Pixar's most ambitious work yet is an understatement - it is essentially a robot love story masquerading as a silent film for the first twenty minutes. Again, the movie is perfectly directed by Andrew Stanton, and he does not disappoint in his third directorial effort for Pixar. WALL-E is a waste collecting robot that has spent years boxing up trash on the abandoned Earth. He meets another robot, EVE, who is on a top-secret mission and they soon fall in love. The movie tells a love story that is far more convincing than any other live-action film that year, which is a testament to the proven success of Pixar films, which are founded on reaching you through the heart instead of your external senses. At the very least, the movie is watchable due to its fantastic visuals and moving score by the great composer Thomas Newman. One of my favorite scenes in any movie ever is the dance through space between WALL-E and EVE set to the song "Define Dancing". I vividly recall viewing the enthralling scene in the theaters and thinking, "Wow, could anything be more beautiful?" At the moment I couldn't find an answer. The film went on to win multiple awards, including Oscars and Grammys, but this is irrelevant. WALL-E is a favorite movie of mine and many others, and proves once and for all that Pixar not only transcends its animated peers, but also movies and art on the whole, and I thank them infinitely.

Toy Story 3 was not included on this list based on the fact that I have seen these movies 3-4+ times and I have only seen Toy Story 3 once thus far. Suffice it to say that TS3 is by far the best movie of summer so far and is worth every penny. Who knows, it may be an impending lock in a future Pixar power ranking. Only time will tell.