Tom’s Year In Review 2009

Hello everyone. You might not know who I am, so let me take a second and introduce myself. My name is Tom, and I have more connections to this site (and their staff writers) than anyone else in history! I’ve been in bands with some of them (Paul/Lauren), worked with some of them (Matt), I even date one of them (Emily), and Bryan and I had a love affair in Brazil that I will never forget…but that’s beside the point.

The point is: I like things! In fact, tons of things! I even liked things in 2009, which was, by my estimation, the worst year in recorded history. I mean think about it, we are still in a recession, the music industry is in shambles, gas has inched back up to $3 a gallon (here in NY at least), and Sarah Palin is what passes as a celebrity these days! I mean really, we should all just commit suicide already!

That’s what this article is all about. Stuff to talk you down from the ledge with. Stuff I think was kinda awesome in 2009, that I think you might too. I mean, I know we won’t agree on everything: such as no one has liked emo/screamo since 2005, my wrestling obsession bled itself into at least 2 of the lists, and I’m sure most of you guys hate elitist vegans! That is neither here nor there, the point is 2009 sucked, and what follows is a list that made it 2% non suck-ier!

Enjoy…

Top 10 Albums of 2009:
1] .Moneen. – The World I Want To Leave Behind
2] New Found Glory – Not Without a Fight
3] Brand New – Daisy
4] The Used – Artwork
5] Taking Back Sunday – New Again
6] Weezer – Raditude
7] Rancid – Let the Dominos Fall
8] Shakira – She Wolf
9] Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown
10] AFI – Crash Love

Top 10 TV Shows of 2009:
1] Burn Notice
2] NCIS
3] WWE RAW
4] Rachel Maddow Show
5] Mad Money
6] Real Chance of Love
7] Countdown with Keith Olbermann
8] Lost
9] The Simpsons
10] Community

Top 10 Reunion Tours of 2009:
1] Faith No More
2] Blink 182
3] No Doubt
4] Jane’s Addiction
5] New Kids on the Block
6] Simon and Garfunkel
7] The Cranberries
8] The Specials
9] Creed
10] Phish

Top 10 Things Obama tried to accomplish, which the conservatives tried to block, which leads them now to say he has done nothing!
1] Universal healthcare
2] Get out of the war in Iraq
3] Get out of the war in Afghanistan
4] Do ANYTHING about global warming.
5] Close Guantanamo Bay
6] More green jobs!
7] US no torture policy
8] New national energy grid
9] $789 billion economic stimulus plan
10] Pretty much anything, ever, at any time, he even THOUGHT about doing.

Top 10 Deaths of 2009:
1] Bea Arthur
2] Billy Mays
3] Farrah Fawcett
4] Patrick Swayze
5] Les Paul
6] Umaga
7] Jim Carroll
8] Ed McMahon
9] Walter Cronkite
10] Captain Lou Albano

Top 10 Vegan Places to eat in NYC for 2009:
1] Babycakes NYC
2] V-Spot
3] Pizza Plus
4] Foodswings
5] Red Bamboo NYC
6] Candle 79
7] Vinny’s Pizza
8] Red bamboo Brooklyn
9] Zen Palate
10] Vegetarian Palate

Top 10 2009 hipster trends I really hate:
1] Tight Pants
2] Flannel
3] Bicycling
4] Beards
5] Playing organized sports they used to get beat up for TRYING to play when they were in high school.
6] Never using the Caps Lock key
7] Living in Brooklyn
8] Yeah Yeah Yeahs
9] Leggings
10] Waxed mustaches