The Rundown: Hip List

When I picked Sarah up from school last night, she told me about a conversation she had with a mutual friend of our's named Dylan. He's the boyfriend of a girl in her class that we've hung out with a bunch over the past few months, and at some point or another I told him Kanye West is the greatest music artist on the face of the planet today. He disagreed.

"Tell Spencer I owe him an apology," he said to her yesterday. "After listening to the new Kanye West album (Graduation), I liked it so much I went out and bought the other two and they're outstanding as well."

My response... I told you so.

And it's with that in mind that I bring you today's Rundown.

The Top Five Things I Can Make You Hip To
(Yes, I'm tooting my own horn... deal with it!)

5. Better Magazines
There is more to the world than Maxim and FHM. Put those down for a minute and go pick up the latest Details or Esquire or GQ. Excellent writing, better suggestions on style, fashion, music, technology and all safely outside of the Fratboy "Look at her tits!" stance of the magazines you read when you were, well, a fratboy. We all have to grow up sometime...

Oh - do yourself a favour and pick up Passion Magazine next Tuesday too.

4. Bravo's Inside the Actor's Studio
It doesn't matter if you're not a film geek like me, this show isn't just about movies. It's about listening to people speak passionately about their craft, where they came from and the decisions that put them where they are. Plus, finding out what people's favourite curse word is is always entertaining.

3. Nick Hornby
There shouldn't be a lot of people who aren't hip to one of the best writers of our generation, but there really are. His works are outstanding and whether you know it or not, you've enjoyed them too. High Fidelity, About A Boy, Fever Pitch - even though Hollywood bastardized the story - are all Nick Hornby. Johnny Depp even bought the movie rights to his second last release - Long Way Down - before the book was finished. Also falling into this category are Chuck Klosterman, Kevin Smith (yes, that Kevin Smith) and Cormac McCarthy.

2. The Hour
I can't stress this enough - you need to be watching this show. It mashes politics with pop culture and something about Strombo makes guest feel comfortable enough to be candid. If you're in the 20-30 demographic, this is the best show on television for you to watch. I know you love House (I do too) or maybe The Hills (ech!) but honestly, do yourself a favour and give it a shot...

1. Good Ass Music
Open your ears and experience things outside of your comfort zone, then thank me for it later. Buy an album by The Roots (My picks: Things Fall Apart or Phrenology) and hear what intelligent hip hop on top of an incredibly talented band sounds like. Download Stop Me by Mark Ronson (feat. Aussie Daniel Merriweather) and realize that North America missed the boat on an incredible track, not to mention his entire Version album. Get over your "he was in 'N Sync" bias and listen to the best album of the last year and a half, FutureSex/LoveSounds. Lily Allen is brilliant, so too are Wilco and The Shins. Rilo Kiley, Rilo Kiley, Rilo Kiley...

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Things I Learned This Week

1. This is the year I start to make a difference
So, if you've read the last couple posts, you know I've been in an angry / contemplative / advocate kinda mood and the thing is, I kinda dig it. Something about wanting to take action and be involved feels real good to me. With that in mind, the remains of this year and all of 2008 will be dedicated to getting involved whatever way I can. The time to start caring is now. Maybe one of these days I'll do what so many people predicted of me back in school and get political...

2. I'm done with the fake smile, pretend I'm happy bullshit
Work has sucked balls lately and with each passing day I get closer and closer to the end goal of being able to tell day jobs to go fuck themselves. As such, no more inter-office politics. If I'm pissed off, you'll know about it and if it's your fault, we can talk about it if you like...

3. Dan Tobin has funnier pretend conversations with his cat than most people have actual conversations.
Seriously - click the link on the left that says Surgical Strikes! and read the conversation between Dan and his cat Trout, about Watson J. Dog (aka Dog Mirabelli)... I nearly pissed myself.

4. The Boston Celtics really are making me look like a loudmouth jerkoff
KG & Company are 8-0 at last count and it doesn't look like it's going to stop any time soon. He's playing every minute of every game as if it's the final two minutes of Game 7 of the Finals. Except, the way he's playing, there won't be a Game Seven... it'll be done in four.

5. Barry Bonds did steroids.
Now, I had sorta known that for a while, but a big old Federal Indictment solidified that belief for me earlier this week. Charles Barkley is right, this is a witch hunt and Barry is being treated unfairly, but could somebody, anybody just please step up and finally fucking admit that Barry Bonds cheated and this isn't all just made up media bullshit? Chalk?

6. Wrong = Wrong
I know McGwire, Sosa, Palmeiro and scores of other Major League Baseball players used steroids, the same ones Barry Bonds used. That still doesn't make what he did right, okay or acceptable to me. People break rules every day and get away with it, but the guy who gets caught can't just say, "Oh, well what about them?" That isn't a proper defense...

7. I Own A Lot of Shit Music
Since I've moved to the new computer - which is still goddamn awesome - I've been copying CDs to my media center so I can listen to tunes whilst working. The one thing I have realized is that I bought a whole bunch of bullshit over the years. I haven't had back to back songs come on that I like enough to listen to since I've started doing this... I need to start downloading again!

8. Relaunch is in 9 days...
Passion Magazine, the Canadian Life / Style / Culture mag I work for, returns to shelves across the country next Tuesday. And yes, it's coming to the web too so my four American readers can check out my shit too. The link is over there on the left... but the site isn't up yet. It's not November 27th.

9. I'm not afraid of the future anymore
All this introspection and self-evaluation this week has made me painfully aware of a couple things:

• I have an amazing girlfriend who I look forward to starting a family with
• There is nothing wrong with only finding your way at age 29
• Everything starts with one person
• I'm a lot better off than I thought I was

10. You Want a Good Shoot'em Up Flick?
Live Free or Die Hard... Yippee Kai Yay Motherfucker!

Have a good week people... be good!
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