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Michael Miller's Sure-To-Infuriate-But-Still-Reasoned Top 10 Albums of 2011

By Michael Miller

Disclaimer: When discussing any best of the year list, preference trumps quality. So really this list should be titled, "My favorite albums of the year." However, in order to be provocative, and to get the people going, the title will be THE "Top 10 Albums of the Year" (Editor's note: I altered this title slightly. It's my blog and I title blogs as I wish. Onwards!). When rating music, I am under the impression that music is about 80 percent taste and 20 percent quality. For example, I don't like too much opera, but I can understand the quality behind it. I cannot, however, understand how anyone would like my eight year old cousin singing "Happy Birthday" over and over. I personally enjoy a wide variety of music, which you hopefully will be able to see from the list below.

Now to the list. It is ten albums, obviously, three honorable mentions, with a paragraph of explanation/description for each album. This year was incredibly tough to rate, with more music to listen to than ever. I tried to sample everything I could this year, but there is no doubt I missed some great stuff along the way. Keep an open mind when reading/rating, and check out these bands/artists if you haven't heard of them before! So without wasting anymore time, here are the best albums of the year.

Honorable Mentions: Kanye West and Jay-Z - Watch The Throne. James Blake - James Blake. Feist - Metals.

10. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

I was at a country western-themed this year, and as I walked in, my friend and I joked about the odds of Fleet Fox coming on. Much to our surprise, it did. What Fleet Foxes has accomplished with their sophomore album is a better version of what they did on their first album: great vocals, swaying melodies, and something for everyone. They are soon to attain the "You can't hate this band" status. With this album, Fleet Foxes solidified a fluke: combining a-capella vocals with folk music and making it sound good. We can only look forward to their next installment of this weird genre.

9. Radiohead - The King Of Limbs

The King of Limbs was not In Rainbows. The King of Limbs was not OK Computer. It was not Kid A, and it was not The Bends. This was a negative to many critics. Radiohead did not continue the accessibility of In Rainbows, and it did not revert back to the crazy experimentation of Kid A. The King of Limbs is something new entirely, though. Radiohead tried something new, and it came out sounding pretty damn good. With a band this established, do we really want them to stay stagnant? Do we want them to ever have the same sound when one of their main strengths is sounding different but familiar? Personally, I like the familiar sound of Thom Yorke's voice coupled with the unfamiliar sound structure in all of their albums. Don't settle with Radiohead. Want more. They gave us more with The King of Limbs; appreciate it for what it is. I am not sure what that is yet, and I'm not sure I ever will. Isn't that perfect with this band?

8. Summer Camp - Welcome to Condale

Can being a poor band's Arcade Fire get you on this list? You betcha. Summer Camp is a new British pop rock band with a slew of members in which both men and women sing. Much like Arcade Fire's The Suburbs epitomized suburban life, Welcome to Condale creates a small town that seems all too familiar. The title track is an ear worm that should be considered on any Song of the Year list. With short, quick, poppy vocals to contradict slower, elongated guitar riffs, a pleasing sound escapes a weird base, the town of Condale. In summary, the album as a movie would be in the space between Super 8 and To Kill a Mockingbird.

7. Adele - 21

Adele had herself a year. 21 found that rare space in music where not only did it make a crap ton of money, but critics also drooled over it. We all have heard wonderful about it, so I will offer some advice to Adele's future career while pointing out certain flaws in the album (pretentiousness at its best). Remember, I still consider this a fantastic piece of art.

First off, Adele, for your next album, write all of your own songs. You can collaborate with song writers, but in the credits of your album, your name should be first and only on the majority of songs. Not one of many. If you are going to sing about personal stuff, fans have to know it is coming from you, and you alone. Also, you did a heartbreak album. Don't go back. Reinvent yourself on a different emotional plane. Lastly, you have an opportunity to not become the next Beyonce, Whitney Houston, or Madonna. Limit your ballads and look for new approaches to the new sound you have already achieved. Oh, and quit smoking. It's bad for your vocal chords.

6. Anthony Hamilton - Back to Love

Two years ago, rhythm and blues was dead in the water. Trey Songz, Mario, and T-Pain destroyed everything that was good about the genre. The days of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell were lost in oblivion. Then last year, Odd Future's Frank Ocean entered the scene, R. Kelly (Yes, the R. Kelly) made an album called Love Letter, Raphael Saadiq became more famous, and Beyonce made the best album of her life. The genre is not back to the days of Otis Redding and Ray Charles, but singers like Anthony Hamilton give us hope. Back to Love is soulful. Like R&B should be.

5. M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming

Quality trumps quantity. My father has been telling me this for about 15 years. M83 disagrees. Hurry Up We're Dreaming has 22 songs, some forgettable, a couple ear worms, and a few (Chris Collinsworth voice) phenomenal songs. This is the Speakerboxx/Love Below of Techno music. Techno is hard to classify M83 as. Like it is, but it's not. Check the album out and you will be impressed, and end up with the same problem as I did.

4. Wilco - The Whole Love

Wilco is back!

3. The Roots - Undun

Hip/Hop has evolved into numerous things, none of which have anything to do with 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Trying. However good that album was, this evolution is for the best. Hip/Hop is now critically acclaimed and is no longer seen as a genre intended for suburban kids pretending to have it tough. With the rise of sampling, excellent production, and independent labels, it is becoming a genre with loads of different styles and mediums. Childish Gambino produced his whole album by himself, concentrating less on beats and more on lyrics. Kanye West and Jay-Z had a different big-time producer on each track of their Watch The Throne. Hip/Hop is different, very different, from any other musical genre because of the difference within itself. All hip/hop no longer sounds the same. Tyler the Creator showed the world that "chorus" is just another word in the song structure of Hip/Hop and Rap music.

The Roots are the backlash of the evolution. They are classic. They are refined. The tracks "Make My" and "On Time" from Undun are contradicting tracks that hold the same essence -- old school hip/hop mixed with original instrumentals. The Roots, if anything, are consistent. They show up on an album and prove that hip/hop is about more than just beats and lyrics. They take a classic approach that throws 50 Cent out of the window, and reverts further back than Tupac and Dr. Dre. The Roots have the same original hip/hop sound, whatever the heck that may be.

2. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

With this album, Justin Vernon showed that one man can sound like one hundred men, and can indeed do it over and over again. "Holocene" is my track of the year, with "Calgary" in a close second. The album mystifies to say the least. If Bon Iver ends up completely dissolving traditional band structure, we shouldn't be surprised. This next year, we should all be begging for more.

1. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

St. Vincent's Wikipedia page starts like this: "Annie Erin Clark (born September 28, 1982) is an American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter who performs as St. Vincent." This is the truth but it could not be further from the truth. Annie Clark plays the guitar incredibly. Her songs are original, and haunting. She is not a singer/songwriter in any sense of the traditional word. With the rise of the female vocalist/musician in indie music this past decade (best thing since Radiohead), St. Vincent can be seen as blurred among the crowd of musicians like Feist and Florence and the Machine. She should not be. Strange Mercy is complex, to the point that Adele's head would be spinning with curiosity as to what it all means. Strange Mercy is simple, with repetition of lyrics similar to Bon Iver or James Blake. The album is 11 tracks deep, all 11 having meaning and sounding great. The albums is complete, and thought out as a whole masterpiece. What puts it ahead of Bon Iver is the unforgettable tracks that become ingrained in one's head after a few listens. And the good kind of ingrained. I believe Strange Mercy could revive a life, or make the hardest human being break down and cry. If that is a little too much, so be it. St. Vincent had the best album of the year.

Michael Miller is a History major and English minor studying at the University of Illinois. Hurl any angry criticisms about his album selections at his Twitter handle, @MichaelKirkpat.

Exhibit(ion) A: Preseason Skirmish With Wayne State

Illinois played their first exhibition game Tuesday night at Assembly Hall against Division II Wayne State. The key word to focus on is "exhibition." You learn very little about a college basketball team from an exhibition game, especially a team like the Illini who have seven new players on the roster. Some new light is shed on individual players, but teams cannot be totally evaluated based on an exhibition performance.

With that in mind, the Illini still took to the court to take on an opponent other than themselves, which merits some discussion. I imagine that the main question most Illini fans have is which half will be more indicative of the team's play this season. The halftime score was only 35-32 in favor of Illinois and Wayne State even held the rebounding advantage 16-12. Illinois quickly righted the ship in the second half though, spurred by Meyers Leonard and Brandon Paul's offense. Illinois' defensive aggressiveness finally paid dividends, as they outscored Wayne State 44-19 in the second half.

If I were to give a semi-informed, educated guess, I would say this Illini team will consistently perform somewhere in between the two polarizing halves. Bear in mind, starting point guard Sam Maniscalco was held out of the game as a precautionary measure, as were three other players that figure to contribute to the rotation in Myke Henry (knee), Devin Langford (broken finger) and Crandall Head (suspension). Head coach Bruce Weber toyed with lineups for most of the game and any semblance of the projected starting rotation rarely played together. Add in that it's the first game for a young team with many new parts and there is some explanation to the sluggish start.

With this in mind, let's explore a few positives and negatives that I observed tonight.

Positive - Defense: After two consecutive seasons of lackluster defense, characterized by apathetic effort and laterally lethargic players, Weber and Co. have assembled a group that should thrive on the defensive end. The perimeter defenders do an exceptional job keeping their man in front of them (something McCamey and Cole struggled with often) and the post players are big-bodied and unafraid to mix it up on the block. The rotations on defense are noticeably crisp as well, including the half-court trap that James Augustine used to execute to perfection. The effort is there, too, with players diving for loose balls and concerted attempts at physicality. Unfortunately, this leads to our first negative which is.......

Negative - Foul Trouble: There were 49 total fouls in the game, 21 of which were committed by the Illini. While this is a necessary result of aggressive defense, it was extremely counterproductive at times and led to bailing out the Wayne State offense that was mostly inept in the half-court against the Illini's tight defense. I was extremely impressed by the defense but the number has to decrease in order for this team to succeed. There is absolutely no way this team will be able to keep up offensively with Big Ten teams who are shooting free throws in the bonus for the majority of the game. This will be something to keep an eye in the early part of the nonconference season.

Positive - Mike Shaw/Tracy Abrams: I'll start with Abrams, who logged major minutes at point guard with Mansicalco's absence. Weber has said often that Abrams is the ultimate competitor during game situations and that was very obvious throughout the exhibition. I was impressed by his poise. The freshman assumed the point guard position and dished five assists to no turnovers. Moreover, he's an above average dribbler and would have easily had the second-best handles on last year's team behind McCamey. There have been many naysayers over the years shoehorning Abrams as a shooting guard that would never really succeed at the point. I would argue emphatically to the contrary and, if anything, I feel more confident that he'll be leading the Illinois over the next four years.

Shaw also impressed when given a larger role in the wake of the frontcourt foul troubles. Shaw was easily the most active player on the floor and recorded twice as many rebounds (8) as Leonard and Tyler Griffey in comparable playing time. It was no secret why he got those rebounds either; Shaw wanted it more than anyone else on the floor, elevating and using his large frame to secure errant shots. If Shaw could puts forth similar effort all the time, the freshman will be an integral part of the frontcourt rotation.

Negatives - Nnanna Egwu: Much has been said about Egwu's inspired play in the offseason, including some speculation that he might receive minutes as the starter. Such speculation will have to be tempered for now, as Egwu only played 13 foul-plagued minutes before eventually fouling out. Egwu is skilled, no question about it. In 13 short minutes, Egwu scored 10 points, including 4-4 on free throws, and displayed some of that rumored motor by notching two steals and two offensive rebounds. Keeping him on the court will be the issue, though. Egwu will need to develop some defensive discipline in a hurry. The fouls he committed were mostly forced and could have been easily prevented. Egwu's offensive skill-set and 6'10" frame is extremely valuable in the frontcourt and will need to stay out of foul trouble to protect Leonard and Griffey.

The words to describe this team right now are these: extreme caution. This is a young team that will have a lot of trouble scoring at times. But the effort is there, along with defensive intensity, and that can mask a lot of offensive problems and even help in creating offense. This team has a long way to go, but they have a bright future. Just remember Illini fans, caution. Extreme caution.

Stories To Wake Up And Inspire

This morning I awoke purposeless.

That's usually not the case. Normally, I wake up, roll over, see the sunlight through my window and take it as a cue to start my day. A shower and some morning reading ensues and then it's off to busy the day with class, errands and interactions with people around me. Normally, I accomplish these morning activities dutifully and with workmanlike purpose. This morning was quite different.

I laid in bed for another five minutes, knowing fully that since I already saw that sunlight, I had no chance of falling back to sleep. I tossed and turned a little longer, trying to muster a reason to get out of bed on this Sunday morning -- and none came.

Then my phone rang. It was a stroke of luck really; if I hadn't woken up five minutes earlier I probably would not have taken the call. It was my sister, Natalie.

Natalie entered her senior year of high school last week and I'm envious of that. Senior year was a transcendent year for me, a perfect combination of a lack of responsibility mixed with the authority of being the oldest in school with all of your friends and I tried to make the best of it. I hope Natalie has the same level of fun that I had and I'm positive she will.

The first step in her senior year was to attend the Back to School Dance. Most of you are familiar with high school dances. Vice Versa was the best because you get to dress up to a theme and everyone looked great, Prom was generally pretty fun if you liked your date, and all the other ones fell into a void of mediocrity. The Back to School Dance was exceptionally mediocre.

Peoria Notre Dame, my sister's current academic institution and my alma mater, has been on a crusade that dates back to my senior year against a prevalent form of dancing -- grinding. It's a perfectly reasonable crusade for a Catholic high school to battle against. Grinding flies in the face of most Catholic tenets and sets a pretty poor example to wide-eyed freshmen every year. Above all, grinding is the most uninspiring form of dancing ever created. I'm not even sure it can be classified as dancing. Seriously, it's a disgrace. Even a dance like the Bernie is far more respectable than grinding and loads more fun.

For some reason, grinding continues to grace us with its presence and high schoolers can't get enough of it. So as PND administrators are patrolling the dance floor trying to corral any outbreaks of that diseased form of dancing, my sister (also an opponent of grinding) tells me the majority of the senior class decides to simply leave the dance and not return. Apparently, the majority included every senior except Natalie and her friends. I mean, I guess that's one way to deal with things, but what a crappy way to handle adversity.

Anyways, Natalie and her cohorts find themselves in a difficult position. They still want to have fun at their last Back to School Dance ever, but were abandoned by their unimaginative peers. Luckily, with a little brainstorming, they concocted an antidote to their precarious situation. My sister and her friends approached some freshmen boys who were outlying the dance floor and started to dance with them; actual dancing, the kind that's fun and active and exhilarating. They continued this for the remaining duration of the dance.

At this point in the story, I'm no longer languishing in my bed. I'm actually sitting on the edge of my bed and smiling because I know my sister just made those freshmen's collective nights. In a perfect ending to the story, Natalie was walking back to her car after the dance was over and happened to see one of the freshman boys they were dancing with climbing into his parents car. She decides to give him a friendly wave and, in response, the boy blows her a kiss! Now, besides the fact that the next time I'm in Peoria I'm going on a manhunt to possibly end this kid's life, that's inarguably the coolest thing that he's ever done. His irrational confidence is going to be off the charts for about two weeks, ending when he sees his life flash before his eyes before getting laid out by that hulked-out, monster sophomore linebacker at football practice. Order will eventually be restored.

Natalie finishes telling the story and I confess that it's probably one of the better ones I've heard in awhile. I tell her to keep living the dream and joke that she should jot down the kid's address for my future reference.

After the phone call ends, I look out the window and the sunlight has a different, inviting quality to it. I make a coffee and bagel and head to my balcony, where I'm greeted by the most beautiful day in recent memory. A cool breeze is blowing through the trees, people are walking by with smiles on their face, and Maroon 5 is playing softly through the screen door. Some days are easy to start and others are much harder.

Sometimes, a morning story helps.

Blog Revamping

Quick service announcement: I started this blog with the intention of posting often, which is mostly the point of blogging and writing in general. I didn't write the catchy sub-header for the blog so that you would take a seat, get comfortable, grab a drink, and then wait around for two months before I innocuously post again. That's actually rather rude of me and definitely not fair to you, the readers.

So, as the title of this post has suggested, the blog will be undergoing a revamping process. The changes will not be physical, but ideological. I'm hoping, time permitting, that I will make 1-2 posts per week. As the sub-header (read: official mission statement) states, we'll be talking about life - current events, my memories, movie reviews, sports, my family - and having fun in the process. Hopefully, my productivity persists throughout the year and no road bumps are met on the way. As always, thanks for reading and stay tuned for the first post of the new era later tonight.

My Favorite Moment of Sophomore Year

A year ago I got the writing itch and decided to start a blog. My first post detailed the top five moments of my freshman year -- a compilation of events and memories that defined my first year in college. Heading into this summer, I fully planned on returning to the format and creating my list for sophomore year. I even started writing the post, getting through moments 4 and 5 before becoming increasingly bored and letting it sit around for awhile. Six weeks later, I tried to return to finish the post and couldn't do it. Something felt wrong and I quickly realized the reason why: I wasn't doing these moments enough justice with little 300 word write-ups that were brief summaries at best. Instead, I went to work on writing about my favorite moment of sophomore year in a little more depth than usual.

(Sidenote: the runner-up this year was Halloween weekend and, specifically, the Friday night of Halloween weekend. I came to the conclusion that Halloween is off-limits for this post in the future because, let's be honest, dressing up and celebrating is too much of a fun time to not be memorable. This year's Halloween spawned "Lonely Pokey" in which a too-drunk Derek, dressed in a Pokey costume, aimlessly meandered around the party we were at to the point that he looked incredibly sad and lonely. Trust me, it was hilarious. Our group, consisting of Bert and Ernie, Pokey and Gumby, and myself in gangster attire, then invaded an empty Geo's basement and started an awesome dance party, prompting the eccentric DJ to say, "It's like watching Saturday morning cartoons on acid!" Only three months until Halloween 2011!)

My favorite moment of the year was actually an entire day, the penultimate one of the school year for me. The day was the spiritual sequel to Picture/Jersey Night (yes, that night is important enough to be a proper noun from here on) in that we knew we had a limited time together before we went our separate ways for the summer. In fact, it was the last day the core group of us were together. Luckily, we were gifted an entire day to fill with engaging activities, and we did just that.

I had my car in the campus area for the past month, which opened up some avenues for us in terms of the scope of our adventures. Since I was parked in the Kappa parking lot, we made some idle chatter with our friend Molly before Derek, Brian, Jeff, Jack and myself piled into my tiny Mustang to embark on a journey to find a bowling alley. Unsurprisingly, the nicer bowling alleys were located in obscure places or were closed in the daytime, so we figured the Illini Union was a safe bet. After a pleasant round of bowling, we ventured to the nearest Old Chicago for some fine dining in our polo shirts and cargo shorts. It was on the way to Old Chicago that we made our major discovery of the night. Apparently, an unheralded member of Young Money, Jae Millz, has a penchant for rapping unintentionally funny things about the woman he's been with. I think this song sums it up nicely. I don't know where he comes up with some of that but, needless to say, it became our mantra for the night.

Shortly after dinner we took a leisurely drive to Wal-Mart to try on goofy hats, buy a ball for Four Square, and hear the worst story of all-time from a Wal-Mart employee. From there, we returned my car to the Kappa house (which became a sort of home base for us the rest of the night) and started up a rousing game of Four Square on the Quad. After an hour of Four Square, we made our way to Geo's for a refreshing and casual $1 bottle. I felt slightly weird doing such a blatantly adult act after a childish game, but it was a proper summer send-off to our favorite watering hole. We figured that an appropriate end to the night would involve returning to home base again to present a birthday gift to an under-the-weather Molly, and along the way we picked up Satyen Patel. I'm sure Saty made a lasting contribution to the day, but I can't really remember right now. As the wee hours approached, we dropped off Jeff, who had been a gamer all day even though he had a final the next day, and Jack, Brian, Derek, myself, and the nefarious Satyen strolled around campus conversing and sharing witticisms, trying to fend off the impending sunrise that would mean the end to an extraordinary day.

I realized during those hours that it was the first time in recent memory that I didn't want a day to end. Looking back, I also came to the realization that this memorable day was very comparable to an average day of my childhood, minus the driving and the casual beer at Geo's. Back then, all you needed was a game of Four Square and a couple of friends to have fun. Now, a day exempt of school, stress, or work becomes the most memorable day in a person's year, even though I would've classified it as a completely normal day ten years ago. It's a sad realization to come across, but I'm also grateful to have made the connection, if only because it made me appreciate this day a little more and hopefully paves the way in the future for more days like these. Nights like Halloween will always be remembered as special times, but there's something mysterious and exciting about the prospects of any regular day morphing into a memorable one. And with my friends, I wouldn't be shocked if it happens a couple more times before we graduate.

Dropping Everything, If Only For A Second

Usually, I kick off the summer blogging season with a post about my Top 5 moments from the previous school year. That post will be appearing by the end of the week but since I decided not to write at all until the middle of the summer, I'm not really interested in chronological blogging at this point. What broke me out of my summer slump was a particular experience that happened on the Peoria County roadways today, and as with any moment that gets me thinking, I felt the sudden compulsion to write about it immediately.

I was cruising down a two lane road around sunset hours. My windows were down, and the music was at deafening levels (A Tribe Called Quest, I believe) as I comfortably soaked in the summer evening. Before long the quaint driving was interrupted by faint sirens and flashing lights in the distance. The road was not crowded but there were more than a few motorists out driving and, noting the impending presence of an ambulance, pulled over to the side of the road in a hurried fashion. I unconsciously did the same without a moment's hesitation -- it's an obvious sign of common decency to stay out of the way of an ambulance on duty. Once the ambulance safely and swiftly passed me, I flipped on my turn signal, pulled back onto the road and continued my pleasant summer drive.

As I drove, I couldn't help but be pleased about the event that just transpired. Not the fact that the ambulance was en route to a situation where someone was likely in great distress, but the fact that myself and other motorists stopped everything we were doing in order to make it easier for a group of people to resolve a dire situation that was bigger than all of us. We are almost always hellbent on envisioning how to accomplish things on a daily basis to fit our convenient schedule that rarely do we take the time to assure someone else's convenience. But that's exactly what happens when we encounter an ambulance with sirens blazing. I tried to find an equivalent to this phenomenon in other walks of life and the only comparison I could draw would be national anthems before sporting/important events. The national anthem is usually a formality, though; an expected step in a process to begin a baseball game or a high school assembly. In the case of a speeding ambulance, it is always unexpected and still we act accordingly with the utmost unselfishness.

And it is that feeling of unselfishness that stuck with me for the remainder of my summer drive, inspiring within me hope that even in a society of increasing nonchalance that a group of people can in tandem accomplish something for a greater good, or a good that may not be directly related to them. We'll never know who that ambulance was for, but maybe our selflessness contributed to saving a life tonight. It's enough to make you smile as the summer sun sets, if only for a second.

Easter Traditions

Note: I've noticed recently that I frequently blog about holidays, and I'm not sure why. I made myself a mental note for the future that there is more to write about than holidays and how much I love my family (they are inextricably linked), but tonight I am going to relapse and write about a holiday again. Also, I noticed my blog posts tend to be really long, so I apologize for my chattiness. Onwards!

As I type, the famed Easter Bunny is frolicking through many a front yard hiding eggs in hard to find places. If you ask my baby sister Katie what her favorite part of Easter is, her eyes will widen and she'll shout, "EASTER EGGS AND JELLYBEANS!" As her godfather, the two things that I have made sure she learns is to love God and to love jellybeans. Since I retired from the Easter egg hunt many years ago, I have graduated to the position of filming the hunt with the family video camera. (The documentarian in me wants to shoot the Easter egg hunt as a clash between my brothers who are in it solely for the candy and my sisters who are doing it for the wonder of finding eggs left behind by the Easter Bunny; in short, a classic example of the difference between greed and innocence. This idea gets shot down relatively quickly by the parents, who cite "creative differences" and threaten to shut down filming. Typical.) The Easter egg hunt is always entertaining, but has lost some luster since I stopped participating. I had to find a new favorite thing about Easter, and I wasn't sure what that was until a few days ago.

Few would expect that the best part of Easter would include Mass in the morning, but to me it has a special quality. It starts as we enter the church in a single file line that would make the Von Trapp's jealous. I typically bring up the rear because I have a knack for corralling the little kids when they fall behind. The search for an open pew is always a difficult one, but in a very un-Bruch Family move we always arrive early for Easter Mass and there is usually a wide open pew. A wide open pew is essential because my family is rolling 10-deep (11 if my grandma shows up) and not all pews are designed to fit that many people. Luckily, my parents starve us and we are skinny enough to all squeeze into a pew as one unit.

At this point, the entire congregation is staring at us, marveling at the size of our family and pondering our various ages and how we function together. Normally, such scrutiny might cause embarrassment, but I could not care less. With my position at the end of the pew, I simply glance to the side and see everyone of us kneeling in our best attire, and I smile with pride. Seeing all of us together is a rarity and I savor every minute of it. I can't help but to imagine myself twenty years from now looking down a similar pew, still beaming with pride at my own wife and children. These are the thoughts that count in life.

The mass progresses smoothly until the sign of peace, when chaos breaks loose within our pew. Katie is crafty and knows that as a five year old, she can hop onto the seat and move down the aisle giving everyone a comfortable handshake. For the rest of us, we have to make due with reaching as far as our arms can stretch and sometimes the cheesy two-finger peace sign has to suffice. By the end of it, our family has mostly reshuffled within the pew and I find myself smiling again. I simply cannot help it.

Throughout the rest of the day we engage in other fun activities and I make sure that Katie and I have eaten every possible jellybean before we are sick to our stomachs. Still, nothing really comes close to that feeling of togetherness that I felt during mass, crammed into a small pew. It's exactly what was intended for us and it's moments like these where I love being a part of a big family.

Illini Fever

Later tonight, at approximately 8:20 p.m. central time, the Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team will take the court against the UNLV Runnin' Rebels in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

At approximately 8:45 this morning, I awoke. And I was nervous.

I had plenty of reasons to be nervous on this cloudy, mild morning. I could have been apprehensive about the events of the preceding night, or the impending email I am to receive today telling me whether or not I am officially transferred into the College of Media as a print journalism major, or the fact that the days are slipping away faster than my brain can process. But today I am nervous for only one reason: the Illini basketball team, the very team I've been rooting for since practically my birth (I secretly wish I was born with jaundice just so the doctors could have confirmed from my orange-tinged skin that I was an Illini the moment I left the womb).

This is our first Tourney game in two years and only our second game in the past four years. Obviously, this has been a cause for concern and numerous columns, blogposts, message boards, etc. dedicated enormous amounts of ink trying to diagnose the recent futility. But that all disappears at 8:20 tonight. The tweets, the anger, the elation, the frustration - it will simply become white noise as we watch the game unfold.

My upbringing as an Illini fan taught me to be an optimist. My father, a graduate of the University of Illinois and devoted fan for 40 years, is a cautious optimist. He believes that the team deserves faith, regardless of the situation, and that a rational look at the team will yield a cautiously optimistic view of each game, season to season. Unfortunately, I was raised as a rabid Illini fan, so naturally I'm more of an enthusiast/apologist than optimist. But optimists get nervous sometimes, too.

I know our team is good. I know this simply because I've watched every game this year. We beat North Carolina by ten. We hung with an uber-talented Texas team until the final minutes of overtime. For all intents and purposes, we lost to Ohio State by only one point. The Gonzaga team that smoked St. John's last night didn't stand a chance against us in their own backyard as we pummeled them with aggressive defense and lights-out shooting. I know our team is good.

I also know that our team has a serious mental issue that makes us look like a bad team. We couldn't close out a vastly inferior UIC team. We displayed our usual pitiful rebounding effort as we lost to Penn State on a last second offensive board/tip-in. We resembled a group of 7 year olds trying to play basketball in the last 7 minutes of the Michigan game and blew a lead that sent every Illini fan into a fit of fury.

But neither of those things matter anymore. Nobody knows if we are a good or bad team, because we're in a new season - a new season where our record is 0-0. Throughout the season, my dad kept saying, even during the past 3 months of basketball hell where we don't know what personality our team is going to take on a game-to-game basis, "just get this team to the tournament." He thinks this team has a lot of talent, but he knows mentally something has been off. His theory is that this team will finally get its head straight with the prospects of a long off-season and no more collegiate basketball for the seniors, and the team will rise to the occasion with a renewed level of focus that will match their noticeably high talent level. And this is coming from a cautious optimist!

So as I continue to bide my time the rest of the day, watching other basketball games with a detached interest at best, I will send out one final plead to this Illini squad. Play to your potential. Forget all of the past season; every dribble of the ball, every second of the game. Feel the weight of a merciless fan base rise off your shoulders. Play loose. Meet the opponent eye-to-eye with confidence.

My dad and I will be watching as we always do. We'll curse when Brandon Paul inexplicably turns the ball over, and cheer when McCamey hits an Eff You Three. And maybe, just maybe we'll pull a win out.

But maybe we're just doomed optimists.

Oscar Hopes And Predictions

Another year in movies, another celebration. It's hard to believe that just a year ago today we bestowed the Best Picture award to The Hurt Locker; maybe not the best film of the year, but deserving nonetheless. If The Hurt Locker was released in 2010 rather than 2009, it would not stand a chance against this year's slate of Oscar nominated films. Sure, it might be nominated (although I wouldn't guarantee it), but in no way would it pose a threat in this year's ceremony. In my mind, 2010 was a banner year for film, falling short of only the phenomenal 2007 year for best of the last decade. Indeed, we were treated to inventive and well-executed movies made by some of Hollywood's most talented minds. And now, these minds must be rewarded for their filmmaking excellence. Hence, the Oscars.

Up until last year, I put great stock into the Academy Awards, placing it on a pedestal that immortalized films for time immemorial. However, after two of the best writers working today (Tarantino and Reitman) caught the almighty shaft from the Academy when both of their vastly superior scripts failed to win their respective categories, I had an epiphany. The Oscars don't matter. Sure, the ceremony is a holy gathering of sorts, and the nominations are generally indicative of the best films of the year. But the actual awards - they're useless, based purely on the opinions of a select group of people whose opinions are no better than our own.

While rooting on his Lakers this morning, Joseph Gordon-Levitt tweeted, "Movies are not a competition. Basketball is." I could not have put it more succinctly. Movies impact people in vastly different ways. People leave in tears, in misery, in elation, in horror. It's not a crime that someone didn't come away floored by Inception like you were, because that very same person might have thought The Fighter was the most visceral display of family life they've seen and reminded them so much of their own family. These preferences aren't wrong; they are right in every possible way, because they resonated within you and spoke to you in a way that no other movie could. That's why we love movies, not because they win awards.

That being said, the Oscars might be one of my favorite nights of the year and it is fun, too. The whole night is purely a celebration of movies and not often do you get to see Hollywood's most talented gathered together. In fact, you only see it once a year. It deserves every bit of attention, and of course I have to contribute with this blog. Let this be your guide for the evening: I'll be listing the nominees in each category, while italicizing what I wish would win and bolding what I think will actually win. I'll also contribute my two cents on each category. Follow along throughout the night and chime in with your own opinions in the comments section!

(Remember the italicized nominee is what I hope will win, the bold nominee is what I think will actually win. Note: I nixed the Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Makeup, Documentary Short Subject, Costume Design, and Art Direction categories because let's face it, I don't care, you don't care, and if we are all apathetic about these categories the world would be a much simpler place.)

BEST WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

- Mike Leigh for Another Year

- Scott Silver, Paul Tamasay, and Eric Johnson for The Fighter

- Christopher Nolan for Inception

- Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg for The Kids Are All Right

- David Seidler for The King's Speech

Nolan deserves this without a doubt. The rest of the field is relatively weak comparatively, with the exception of The Fighter's script which I liked a lot. Still, In Nolan We Trust.

BEST WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

- Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy for 127 Hours

- Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network

- Michael Arndt for Toy Story 3

- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for True Grit

- Debra Granik and Anne Rossellini for Winter's Bone

Again, Sorkin is even more of a lock than Nolan, which is surprising because his competition is much stiffer. Sorkin wrote one of the best screenplays ever with TSN though, so this a no brainer.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

- Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb for Inception

Yes, there are other nominees but none of them hold a candle to Inception's brilliant use of practical effects instead of lazy CGI. When in doubt, award Nolan as much as possible.

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

- Tanel Toom for The Confession

- Michael Creagh for The Crush

- Luke Matheny for God of Love

- Ivan Goldschmidt for Na Wewe

- Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite for Wish 143

I liked all of these short films besides God of Love (way to go U.S.) but the one that struck me the most was Wish 143. It was a perfect blend of humor and heart that struck me internally despite its 20 minute runtime. Na Wewe was the most unique out of the bunch so I think that will win.

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

- Teddy Newton for Day and Night

If you saw Toy Story (you saw Toy Story, right??), then you saw this wonderful little short film beforehand. I saw none of the other nominees and I don't need to; Day and Night deserves it.

BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

- "Coming Home" from Country Strong

- "I See The Light" from Tangled

- "If I Rise" from 127 Hours

- "We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3

"We Belong Together" perfectly encapsulated the collective feeling from the last part of the trilogy. The Academy has some love affair with A.R. Rahman (yeah the guy who did "Jai Ho") so If I Rise will win an undeserving award.

BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

- John Powell for How To Train Your Dragon

- Hans Zimmer for Inception

- Alexandre Desplat for The King's Speech

- A.R. Rahman for 127 Hours

- Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for The Social Network

If you haven't checked out The Social Network score, do so immediately (via download if you wish, or support the cause and buy it on iTunes). Call it intuition (because I have no factual basis for this pick) but I think Powell comes away the Oscar here. Stay tuned.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

- Mexico for Biutiful

- Greece for Dogtooth

- Denmark for In A Better World

- Canada for Incendies

- Algeria for Outside The Law

I haven't seen any of these, but have heard good things about both of these, so I flipped a coin. And I like Canada better than these other countries.

FILM EDITING

- Andrew Weisblum for Black Swan

- Pamela Martin for The Fighter

- Tariq Anwar for The King's Speech

- Jon Harris for 127 Hours

- Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter for The Social Network

The Social Network is so fast paced, but still so coherent that it deserves the win just for sheer stamina. Everyone with an Academy vote loves The King's Speech so that'll probably win. Still pissed Inception didn't get nominated here.....

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

- Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz for Exit through The Gift Shop

GO RENT/NETFLIX THIS MOVIE IMMEDIATELY!!!

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

- Matthew Libatique for Black Swan

- Wally Pfister for Inception

- Danny Cohen for The King's Speech

- Jeff Cronenworth for The Social Network

- Roger Deakins for True Grit

Deakins will probably win via the Lifetime achievement route. I generally think its bullshit that awards get won in this manner, but since Deakins deserved it the previous nine nominations, I'll be ok if he wins. Libatique had the best camera movement by far though. And Black Swan needs some more love.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

- How To Train Your Dragon

- The Illusionist

- Toy Story 3

If there weren't four films I thought were better than Toy Story 3 this year, then I would be rooting for it to win Best Picture. That's logical, right?

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

- Amy Adams for The Fighter

- Helena Bonham Carter for The King's Speech

- Melissa Leo for The Fighter

- Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit

- Jacki Weaver for Animal Kingdom

Supporting categories are always crowded, and this is no exception. Leo is going to win, book it, and she does an excellent job. Steinfeld, though, carries True Grit and outduels her counterpart in the original without breaking a sweat, so that's where my allegiances lie. Also, goal no. 1 for the next two weeks is to watch Animal Kingdom.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

- Christian Bale for The Fighter

- John Hawkes for Winter's Bone

- Jeremy Renner for The Town

- Mark Ruffalo for The Kids Are All Right

- Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech

Ok, before you jump all over me, I am hoping that Bale wins, too. He deserves it more than anyone in the category by far. But Hawkes was phenomenal and haunting in his role, and I love him in Eastbound and Down, so I'll be secretively rooting for him to bring home the gold statue.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

- Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right

- Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole

- Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone

- Natalie Portman for Black Swan

- Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine

This is Portman's to lose, and I'm rooting for her. My mom liked Bening a lot though, and I value my mother's opinion, so you should too. (Also, my friend Alec loves getting shoutouts from the blog, and he liked Blue Valentine and Williams, so value his opinion as well.)

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

- Javier Bardem for Biutiful

- Jeff Bridges for True Grit

- Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network

- Colin Firth for The King's Speech

- James Franco for 127 Hours

Firth deserves it and will win. Actually, he should have won last year for his work in A Single Man, but, you know, that's not how these things work. Luckily, he gets redemption this year. Eisenberg had the most captivating performance of the year, but he'll be back eventually for his win.

Best Director

- Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan

- David O. Russell for The Fighter

- Tom Hooper for The King's Speech

- David Fincher for The Social Network

- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for True Grit

Hooper has been winning awards left and right lately, but Fincher has been winning them for the past six months. I do honestly believe he will win, even with prognosticators mostly saying differently. If I had a second-place vote, I'd go with Aronofsky, simply because Black Swan needs some more love and he might be the best living director working right now. Yeah, I said it.

BEST PICTURE

- Black Swan

- The FIghter

- Inception

- The Kids Are All Right

- The King's Speech

- 127 Hours

- The Social Network

- Toy Story 3

- True Grit

- Winter's Bone

As much as it pains me to say this, The King's Speech has too much momentum not to win Best Picture. It is a truly fascinating film, with performances better than almost any movie released this year. Outside of the performances an above average script, I found it to be a bit drab and familiar. The Social Network truly deserves this award in my mind, and it will be considered a classic for years to come. The King's Speech, for all its merits, will not.

Thanks for read and spark some lively debate in the comments!

2011 Oscar Nominations

Before we get to my thoughts on how the nominations went down, here's a comprehensive list of all the nominees (as well as a message board if you're so inclined): http://www.slashfilm.com/2011-academy-award-nominations/#more-96483.

Despite some glaring omissions, I feel that the Academy did a really solid job in its nominations. The nominee list is littered with quality films that are unique, and it’s not as if the snubs were replaced by mediocre talent, just talent that is slightly less exceptional. I’ll get the snubs out of the way first. Obviously, Christopher Nolan not receiving the nomination for Best Director is first and foremost. As an ardent Coen Bros. fan, I can readily admit that they did some pretty pedestrian work on True Grit. Again, True Grit is a great film, just not Inception-great. The more I think about it, though, the more I feel like Lee Smith’s snub in Best Editing for Inception is even more preposterous. Assuring that Inception had the utmost coherence was crucial and along with Nolan’s screenplay (which did get nominated), Smith’s editing was the foremost contributing factor.

Best Supporting Actor is always crowded and, unfortunately, the snub-axe came down hard on Andrew Garfield, who had one of my favorite performances of the year in The Social Network. I don’t see how you take one nominee out of that category and put Garfield in, but I wish it were so. Among the more technical categories, the cinematography for Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part I should have been nominated (that’s coming from a guy who hates the Harry Potter movies, too). Also, I don’t know if it got disqualified by the Academy’s asinine rules or it just got snubbed, but Daft Punk’s score for Tron: Legacy should be in there somewhere.

There were encouraging nominations as well. John Hawkes’ turn in Winter’s Bone was truly astounding and the fact that he received at least some recognition for the performance is a win for all. Bardem and Eisenberg’s appearances in the Best Actor category are comforting, as is the always-lovely Michelle Williams’ nomination for Blue Valentine. I was also excited to see Hailee Steinfeld’s name appear in the Best Supporting Actress category, even though she was essentially the lead in True Grit. Natalie Portman is (deservingly) running away with the Oscar for Best Actress, and this move greatly improves Steinfeld’s chances of picking up some hardware, too. Finally, the Academy should be appropriately commended for the Best Picture nominees, which is the most accurate representation of a year’s best films that I’ve seen in recent memory. The expansion from five to ten nominees was designed to work out in this exact manner, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

In the coming weeks (or month depending on when my schoolwork starts kicking in) I'll include my top 10 movies from 2010 and also my complete breakdown of every Academy Award category for the big night on February 27. Until then, start utilizing that Netflix account and watch some of these fine films!

"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.