Jesse’s Best of 2011

Posted on April 6, 2012 by jesselynch

So yeah, this took me forever to complete, but all selections, and most of the content was completed in January 2012. Same disclaimer as last year (I’m hardly an expert, blah blah…)

Best Movie

Best – The Artist

I enjoyed this movie a lot more than I thought I would. I was intimidated by the idea of sitting through a silent film. It took me ten minutes to settle in, but once I did I was captivated. In some ways the story was more powerful and better acted without dialogue. It’s an exercise in nonverbal communication.

And for the record, I wrote this opinion before it won best picture.

Runner Up -Drive

Hard for me to choose between Young Adult and Drive, however, I’ll give Drive the slight edge. Dark and captivating, Ryan Gosling delivered a solid performance while saying almost nothing. A must watch for 2011.

Honorable Mentions: Young Adult, Money Ball, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Best TV Show:

The Best: Game of Thrones Season 1- HBO

Did anyone doubt that I would list Game of Thrones? It was quite a year for George R.R. Martin. I’ve been reading this series since I was 17, and was thrilled to see an adaption by the best channel on TV. HBO did a great job of bringing this complex and bulky book to the small screen.

Runner Up – Breaking Bad Season 4 – AMC

Breaking Bad is quickly becoming one of my favorite TV shows of all time. And season 4 did not disappoint.

Honorable Mentions – Portlandia Season 1 and Sons of Anarchy Season 4

Best Album

Best – Bon Iver, Bon Iver

Far and away the best album of 2011 came from my boy from Eau Claire. An incredible follow up to his mind blowing first album, For Emma, Forever Ago. It’s hard to pick favorites on this album, but Holocene and Calgary top my list as best tracks. I also had the privilege of seeing Bon Iver live in concert this summer at the Chicago Theatre. Best concert I’ve seen this year.

Runner Up – Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

Another solid album by one of my favorite bands. I also had the chance to see them this summer at The Pitchfork music festival.

Honorable Mentions: The Decemberists – The King is Dead, Wilco – The Whole Love

Best Novel

Best – Dance with Dragons – George R.R. Martin

Finally! This one was six years coming. It was great to have a new book in a series I’ve been reading for 17 years. While not the strongest of the series, I happy about the trajectory that the novels are moving in. I just wish they would move a little faster.

Runner Up – The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Laugh it up. Yes, I loved the shit out of The Hunger Games. It’s not the most original plot, or the best written novel I’ve ever read. But…it’s entertaining and I loved the characters. I have to give credit to Suzanne Collins for writing a solid novel for young readers. I hope that this series brought the love of reading, just like The Three Investigators, Narnia, and The Hobbit did for me when I was a kid.

Best Non-Fiction Book:

Oops. Pathetically I did not finish one nonfiction book in 2011. I’m already well into one for 2012, so I hope to revive this category next year.

Best Gadget:

Best: iPhone 4 from Verizon

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It’s a little lame to go with something that’s was already 6 months old at the start of 2011, but Verizon’s iPhone 4 marked the first time that you could get an iPhone on a network besides AT&T. I bought this guy the day it came out. I have to admit, it may be the finest piece of hand held technology that I’ve ever owned. I know the 4S may be better, but I’m holding out for the 5th generation.

Runner Up: Sony HT CT-150 Home Theater System

After my old surround sound system died I needed something new. At around $300 this sucker was a deal. The sound is great, in my small apartment it can mimic a full five speaker surround system with sound effects coming from all directions. A great buy, especially in a small room.

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My Oscar Challenge

Posted on December 24, 2011 by jesselynch

Earlier this year I made it a mission to see every Oscar Best Picture nominee. I’m going to continue that trend in 2012. This year, I’m getting a jump on the process by trying to watch potential nominees before the official voting. Call in my own screening challenge. I’m going to try to keep a running log of the films I’ve seen and my impressions on this blog.

The Movies:


The Help

Best Picture Worthy: Yes

I really liked The Help. Based on the novel of the same name, it had all the elements of a Best Picture caliber film. Significant historical plot. Strong performances. Polished production. Emotionally uplifting.


Drive

Best Picture Worthy: Yes, but not going to happen

Drive was awesome. I’m not exactly sure what to compare it to. It felt like some 80s action throw back. Sort of like a Tony Scott film with less talking. But I don’t think it will get a nod. Too different, too action. I could see a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Albert Brooks or a possible Best Original Screenplay. Either way, one of the best films I’ve seen this year.

Stay tuned for more updates as I watch more movies.

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Things Fall Apart

Posted on November 30, 2011 by jesselynch

Probably the most frustrating thing in life is when things break. Especially electronics. I spend all this money on a product and suddenly it doesn’t work. Or at least work the way I want it to. Generally this is how it goes:

Step 1: You buy something awesome that you don’t need and is way out of your price range.
Step 2: After two days you completely can’t live with out said product. “OMG. How did a live before I bought an iPod/iPhone/iPad/Macbook Air/AppleTV/Sony Surround Sound System? You complete me.”
Step 3: You drop/break/get wet/discover a stuck button/lose your beloved device.
Step 4: Total melt down.
Step 5: Frantic web search on said problem. That is if you still have a functioning internet capable device.
Step 6: A visit to your local Apple Store or hours on the phone with customer support. “What do you mean this isn’t covered under my warranty? I need to pay $700 for a new iPhone?”
Step 7:Total melt down.
Step 8: Acceptance. This can go several different ways. You either replace it, go without, or try to fix it yourself. I’ve done the fix it yourself approach. It’s almost as maddening as the problem in the first place. It’s not really acceptance. And living it without is no longer a real option for me. So I pony up the $700. There goes another vacation.

Sometimes I think we’d be better off without all this technological crap…Oh fuck it. Who am I kidding? I love this stuff. I just wish it would never break. Or at least wait until I’m eligible for an upgrade and am actively looking for an excuse to upgrade. Then by all means, fall apart.

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Coffee

Posted on November 22, 2011 by jesselynch

I notice that my coffee consumption goes up drastically during the winter and fall. My theory is that it’s caused by lack of sunshine. People need the caffeine to stay awake. Ever notice that most cities associated with coffee drinking are in dark/cold/rainy climates? Vienna and Seattle come to mind. Apparently Chicago is not far off the list of heaviest coffee drinking cities in the U.S.

The other reason could be the cold. In the summer I drink more diet sodas for my afternoon pick-me-up. Hot beverages on a hot afternoon don’t make sense. And I don’t do iced coffee.

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My iTunes Match First Impressions

Posted on November 18, 2011 by jesselynch

I took the iTunes Match plunge this week. I was anticipating the service as Apple enthusiast and a commuter who listens to music in several different locations. Since the demise/theft of my iPod Classic, I have only been able to access my full music library from home.

I was initially frustrated with the service, but with a few days under my belt I’m warming to it. Pros and Cons below:

Pros

  • Access to your whole iTunes library on up to ten devices. For me that includes my Macbook, iPhone 4, iPad 1G Wifi, Apple TV, and work Windows 7 PC.
  • Inexpensive at only $25 a year
  • Plenty of storage space for my music collection, which is about 6,000 songs
  • High quality audio content
  • Access to Genius Mixes from several locations

Cons

  • iOS Device downloading and streaming can be a huge pain. iTunes Match initially deletes all the music on your iOS device, and forces you to manually re-download each song. There’s really not an easy way to do this. And since 3G speeds can be spotty and slow, it’s too difficult to download as you go. Especially if you listen to your music in the subway or on a plane without access to the cloud. Data limits can be a huge problem as well. My best work around has been to set up a playlist with all the music you want on the iOS device and download all while sleeping. This isn’t full proof either, since your iPhone will occasionally time out and ask for a password. You also have to turn off auto lock. It would have been much better if Match could have just read your current library and filled in the missing songs with the cloud icons.
  • No adding audio files manually. Related to the above, but still annoying.
  • No audio files over 200mbs. Not a huge deal, but I have a couple of home grown audio books with huge files. I need to figure out a way to edit these files myself.
  • iTunes Match is buggy as hell in Windows. It continually timed out and froze while initially communicating with the cloud. I had to let it sit in the “not responding” stage until it finished. I’m blaming both Windows and iTunes equally. But I think it’s something Apple should have figured out prior to launch.
  • Doesn’t store podcasts in the cloud. You still need to manually sinc your device if you are a podcast enthusiast.

I know their seems to be more cons than pros, however, I still think iTunes Match is a worthwhile and overall beneficial service. It just has a few bugs and requires a little more initial set up than I would have expected from Apple.

I think my biggest disappointment is that iTunes Match doesn’t “just work”. Something I’ve gotten spoiled with since my switch to Apple products. It doesn’t quite feel ready for the prime time. This worries me that one of the first major product releases since the passing of Steve Jobs came out this buggy.

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Shoes

Posted on May 18, 2011 by jesselynch

Ever since I watched one episode of Hoarders , I’ve been terrified of accumulating too much stuff. After all, most things we own are really one step removed from being garbage. My take is “your treasure is someone else’s trash”.

Ultimately everything you own will at some point end up in a landfill or potentially be a burden on your loved ones or society. You might as well try to have as little of it as possible.

While I recognize all of the above, I still really like my stuff, and I really like buying new stuff. But I try to at least make an effort to get rid of things I don’t need.
A few weekends ago I decided to tackle my shoe collection.

In my opinion, this is way more shoes than one straight man should own. I seem to collect casual tennis shoes like an old women collects cats. Here’s a breakdown of what I found:

  • 5 pairs of Saucony’s (two of which that were identical)
  • 2 pairs of slip on Vans
  • 2 pairs of low-top Chuck Taylors
  • 2 pairs of Asic Onusuku Tigers
  • 3 sets of boots – cowboy and biker boots (neither which I’ve ever worn) and a set of snow boots
  • 1 pair of red Puma’s
  • 4 pairs of dress shoes
  • 1 pair of Nike Running Shoes
  • 1 pair of Soccer cleats
  • 1 pair of outdoor hiking shoes
  • 3 pairs of flipflops
  • 1 set of Addidas sandals

That’s 26 pairs of shoes. I’m going to guess that I have at least another four pairs hiding out somewhere. That’s enough to shoe a small army of small footed dudes.

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New Gig

Posted on March 31, 2011 by jesselynch

So I recently started a new job. It’s been good so far, but very different than what I was doing before. After six years at the same place, it’s a big adjustment. I spent 50% longer at my last job than I did in college. I calculated how much time I spent at 36 E. Grand. If I was there continuously, it would have been about a year and a half of my life there. That’s roughly 5% of my existence spent in one building. Crazy.

I also recently passed another milestone in my life. Eight years in Chicago. Wow. I’m not sure if I saw that happening. It’s been a good trip, and I still love the city and all my friends here. I had one close call where I almost left, and will also wonder what life would have been like if I would have. Maybe in some strange parallel dimension there’s a Jesse that did leave. I wonder how he’s doing? I guess this one will never know.

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How the Recession has Affected Me

Posted on March 8, 2011 by jesselynch

As the “Great Recession” finally feels to be slowly winding down, I wanted to take a minute to reflect, in real, tangible ways, it’s impact on me personally. Below is a list.

  • My gym closed. It wasn’t the greatest gym, but it was convenient, downstairs from my office building. It’s closing significantly effected my quality of life and my health, as my new gym was much more difficult to get to and my working out has suffered.
  • My dad is unemployed and has been unable to find new employment for several years. He has a CPA license and a master’s degree. While there could be more to it than just the recession, I’m positive age discrimination and a poor job market had a lot to with his current state of employment.
  • I had numerous friends get laid off. Most of them have found work and moved on to new things. One friend, an unemployed architect, lost his job, his condo, his girlfriend, packed his bags and moved to Colorado. Good for him, but still can’t help but feel like the recession took a friend out of my life, at least for now.
  • My bank got bought by a bank. Then that bank failed and got bought by another bank. Then the new bank closed the location closest to my office. While there’s another one a mile or so away, I’ve definitely paid more ATM fees since the closing.
  • I lost about 40% of the value off my retirement savings in 2009. It has since recovered, partly because I actually upped my investments during the fall and made up for my losses with additional contributions. But it was a nervous ride. I think about the fact that the majority of my investments were made pre-recession, and I still haven’t made that money back. It was a good five years of no gain.
  • My former significant other for most of the recession had a very difficult job search during and after finishing her graduate degree. (She’s in education.) Through hard work and a bit of luck, she’s remedied the situation. Good for her, but it was a stressful run for both of us.
  • My step-father had been in and out of employment through the course of the recession, and was recently laid off. He fortunately, at a late stage in his career, found new work but it has been touch and go for him for several years.
  • I was robbed. Twice in a month. First my car was stolen. Three weeks later I got it back with no battery, an impound fee, and towing to get it out of the lot. Then, a month later, on my 30th birthday, my apartment was robbed. They took my TV and a bunch of other small things. I luckily have insurance and managed to get almost everything back. Maybe these would have happened without the recession, but I think it was at least partly to blame.

All and all, I got off light. I managed to keep my job, escaped the plummeting housing market by renting, and was smart with my investments. But I still have my battle scars. In a later post I’ll get into the more significant ways that the recession has affected me mentally. What about you?

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Jesse’s Best of 2010

Posted on January 31, 2011 by jesselynch

Like most personal blogs by pseudo-intellectual hipster types, I feel it’s necessary to recap some of my favorite things of 2010. I’m hardly an expert in any of these categories, everything listed below is my personal opinion only. I’m going to try to stay to one favorite with one runner up in each category.

Best Movie of 2010

Best – The Social Network

This was a hard choice between The Best and Runner Up. I enjoyed both films immensely, but The Social Network stuck with me longer. I found myself discussing Mark Zuckerberg for weeks after seeing the film. Powerful, entertaining, inspiring and totally captivating,this was a great film.

Runner Up – Black Swan

I’ve been a big fan of Darrin Aronofsky since Requiem for a Dream and my visit to his New York office in 2001. The pacing of this film was terrifying and gripping. While it was well acted, especially by the beautiful Natalie Portman, it’s Aronofsky’s direction that made this film.

Honorable Mentions

The King’s Speech, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Inception

Best Novel

I love to read. I usually try to read 10 to 20 books every year, both fiction and non-fiction. Most of my categories will focus on something that was released in 2010. However, books are the exception. I’m going to focus on the best that I read in 2010.

The Best – The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay – Michael Chabon

This novel blew me away. I think it may be the best written novel I’ve ever read. I was turned onto it because my brother teaches bass guitar lessons to Mr. Chabon’s son in Berkeley California. It’s the story of two young Jewish men in New York around World War II and the birth of the comic book. Yeah, I wasn’t that excited about the topic when I picked it up, but this book has everything. Adventure, love, history, magic, political and sexual themes. Michael Chabon definitely deserved the Pulitzer for this one.

Runner Up – The Game of Thrones – George R. R. Martin

OK, so this really shouldn’t count. This was my third time through this novel almost fifteen years after my first reading. It was still great. I’m also listing it here because it helped me get through a little rough reading patch last year when I was having a hard time relaxing and getting into anything. I can’t wait for the TV series this year.

Honorable Mention

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest – Stieg Larrson, A Reliable Wife – Robert Goolrick, The Yiddish Policeman’s Union – Michael Chabon

Best Album

I’m not a music snob. I’m not going to lecture you on why what I like is better than what you like, I would prefer to simply list some albums that I found myself listening to this year. Overall it was a down music year for me, I didn’t pick up a ton of new stuff, but what I did, I really enjoyed.

The Best – The Wild Hunt – The Tallest Man on Earth

I love this guy. Great album.

The Runner Up – I And Love And You – The Avett Brothers

This was actually released at the end of 2009, but close enough. Another great one.

Honorable Mention

The Suburbs – The Arcade Fire

Best Non-fiction Book

The Best – The Omnivore’s Dilemma – Michael Pollan

So as you can see, I fell in love with two Berkeley-based writer Michaels. This book is an eye opener, and I think every eater should read it. You can read my full review at on my infrequently updated food blog, Fast Food Reviewed After reading this book last year, I became another Pollanite, lecturing all on the dangers of processed food and the benefits of the locavore movement. Well I’ve lost a lot of my passion, I’m still buying local and organic as much as possible. Now if I could just eat less meat.

The Runner Up – On Writing – Stephan King

I really enjoyed this glimpse inside the mind of one of the greatest novelists of all time. He gives excellent tips on the writing process and grammar. I found it to be a big help to me as a writer. It’s also a fascinating look at how Stephan King became the Stephan King we know and love today.

Best TV Show

The Best – Mad Men – Season 5

Oh man, this was some good TV. After a few seasons of decline, Mad Men was back with it’s best season yet. If you don’t watch this show, you should.

The Runner Up – Breaking Bad – Seasons 3

This is the best show that I had never heard of. I binged on this over the last month or so. The ending to Season 3 was epic, and I can’t wait for Season 4.

Honorable MentionThe Walking Dead – Season 1

Let’s hear it for AMC! They’ve really been leading the way with dramas over the last few years. All three were great TV dramas. Highly recommended.

Best Gadget

I love gadgets. Especially ones with Apple logos.

The Best – iPad

I love my iPad. It does everything I could ever want something to do. Movies, books, TV shows, video games, news, magazines, music, the web, all on a reasonably sized screen with great battery life. If I could marry my iPad, I would.

The Runner Up – Canon PowerShot S95

This is the best point in shoot on the market. I love this camera. Manual controls like a DSLR, except pocket-sized, half the price of a DSLR, and none of the “I bought an expensive camera I never use” guilt. The The New York Times even wrote a blog post framed as a love letter to this camera.

Honorable Mention – Apple TV Generation 2

This thing just works. And it’s fun. Since getting this in late 2010 I barely use my cable anymore. With all the TV shows and movies to be found online, I’m not sure that I need cable.

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Boredom

Posted on December 21, 2010 by jesselynch

I like to say there is no reason to be bored. There’s always something to do between work and house work. Digital media has given us access to an unlimited amount of content, right at our finger tips. Blogging, writing, getting rid of stuff, you name it, and you can find a way to fill your time. And there’s always working out, something I don’t do enough.

But sometimes, I’m still bored. The funny thing about boredom is, that it strikes the most when you have the most free time. I had the day off work today, and while I was reasonably productive, after about 12 hours of doing stuff around my apartment, I’m bored. There’s still more things I could be doing, but nothing I need to be doing. So I’m bored.

In the realm of human states of being, boredom is a small thing. Loneliness, hunger, anxiety, are all much worse. But none are as, well, boring.

Oh well. At least there’s always sleep.

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