Oh wow.  I know I am going to disappoint many people out there with my top five list this week - I am going to compile my list of favorite “socially conscious” songs and nearly all of them are recent releases.  I consider a song to be “socially conscious” if it motivates me to want to make the world a better place or if it encourages me to rethink the status quo.  I know, I know, the sixties were full of folk songs decrying the evils of, well, just about everything.  There are tons of songs I am not including in this list that I am sure most of you will consider the quintessential call to arms, but perhaps I’ll introduce you to some songs you haven’t taken seriously that may, in the end, motivate you to work for the common good the way they motivate me.

5. Waiting for the World to Change – John Mayer.  I know, this is bubble gum pop, but it sticks with me because it feels so much like school to me.  I am constantly surrounded by bright-eyed, idealistic 24 year olds who really are just waiting for the world to change – some are even working for that change already.  Its so doe-eyed and precious, I can’t help but think that something good is going to come from my classmates that isn’t as sappy but just as inspiring as this song.

4. Brother Down – Sam Roberts Band.  This may be a pretty obscure reference for many of you, but I have seen Sam Roberts live a couple times now and he freaking rocks.  This song is a true anthem for the call of humanity surrounding us all , and I can remember the exact time I heard Sam cry it out onstage.  It always reminds me of what I want to do in life – just leave the world better off than I found it.  If you aren’t familiar with Sam Roberts, look them up.

3. He Got Game – Public Enemy.  This one reaches back further than any of the others only because Public Enemy has been sticking it to the man for decades.  This song came out in 1998 and I was introduced to it by my brother-in-law when he was just a ghetto superstar that listened to nothing but rap and R&B, but it spoke to me right away.  Its lyrics are really poignant and I started listening to it when I was still young enough to be the bright-eyed idealist myself.

2. Changes – Tupac. In some of my most paranoid moods I am convinced that Tupac was murdered to keep him from changing the world himself.  He was popular enough to start a movement, and was increasingly vocal about the inequality and strife of inner-city America.  This song speaks truth to power, and could have been a great example of popular music affecting social change if it had gained more of an audience beyond the ghettos.  It reminds me of the potential to be found at the heart of every person to change the world if given the chance.

1. Better Way – Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals.  I truly believe there is a better way out there.  I know I am older and more cynical than most of my liberal classmates, but I do believe there is so much good in people that it is fact possible to make this world a better place.  If I didn’t believe this I would have just gone to Business School to make myself some money.  I hope that everyone can listen to this song and dream of a better way for all of us to live, to give, to be.  I know its sad, but the flame of idealism just cannot be extinguished in this dreamer’s heart.

So that’s it.  Find these songs and try to listen to them with an ear for revolution – see if you don’t come around to believing that you, too, can make this world a better place.  Try it risk-free for seven days and return it for a full refund if you’re not completely satisfied.  Have fun.

A caveat: there are two songs from before my time that still resonate with me, and though I didn’t include them in the official list, I can’t leave them off this post.  John Lennon’s Imagine has always moved me, and might have subconsciously affected me to be the person I am today.  I have loved this song and its simple message as long as I can remember.  Also, Buffalo Springfield’s For What Its Worth has always run in the soundtrack of my mind, particularly on the hot summer days of unrest.  Consequently it is the sample from which He Got Game is derived.

Sorry it’s a little late, but I just returned from a great conference in New Orleans on regional equity.  I hadn’t been back to NO post-Katrina, and though it has been two and one-half years, things are still pretty morbid in some neighborhoods.  And then again, the tourist-trap areas are up and running as if nothing had really happened.  The fact that millions of people are visiting the city without knowing the costs of our country’s ineptitude saddens more than the remnants of devastation still visible.  However the city still lives on, and while it does, I will have hope for a better world.  And with that hope I will list my top five favorite things about New Orleans, in no particular order.

- The Food.  I know its not the healthiest cuisine, but it may be the most flavorful.  I love etouffee, I love gumbo.  I love fried shrimp and the po’boys they come in, and I love crawfish like nobody’s business.  I could founder on New Orleans food.

- The Music.  Many people relate jazz to Chicago, but I will always have the music of New Orleans in my heart.  The Crescent City had a profound effect on jazz, particularly early on, and I can’t hear the Saints Go Marching In without being brought right back to the second line parades that followed funerals through the bumpy streets.  The music will always bring me back to the city.

- The Architecture.  The city, the entire city, is an unbelievable built environment.  Sure there are beautiful mansions in the Garden District and along St. Charles, and the French Quarter is a uniquely dense community with its own character.  But even the run-down neighborhoods, with shotguns and camelbacks, old wrought-iron fences and overgrown yards have such character and personality.  I could never get tired of the variety to be found in New Orleans architecture.

- The Accent.  Many visitors of New Orleans can find it a little hard to understand, but once you’ve been there a little while all but the thickest accents are discernible and fun.  I love the way people sound in New Orleans.

- The People.  Along with the way people sound, I just love the people of New Orleans.  Sure, they don’t know the meaning of fast food – in fact most people don’t know anything fast.  But if you lived in 99% humidity all year round you wouldn’t want to do anything fast either.  You just do what you do, and live easy, man.  I don’t know about now, as things have certainly changed, but when I lived in New Orleans nearly everyone was friendly, easy-going, and just happy to be alive.  And that is something that can’t be taught, can’t be planned, it just sort of happens.  That’s what makes (made) New Orleans the great place it is (was).

For the first time I visited New Orleans this past week as a tourist, and I can see how easy they fool most visitors into good-times and easy living.  But underneath that, there is still sadness, and loss, and devastation.  Two and a half years later and the war is still being fought in New Orleans, let’s not forget about them because they can put on a happy face.  Let us always remember.  And always remember the great things about the Crescent City.

I know there will be lots of you out there with differing opinions on this top five list.  What is inspirational to one is garbage to another, I understand that.  But it is also a timely topic with all the Presidential Hoopla carrying people away.  So here are the five most inspirational movies in my humble opinion, feel free to comment with your own if you think I missed any.

5. Bulworth – in the spirit of the season, I have to admit I have always been inspired by Warren Beatty’s straight-talking politician.  Sure, his sudden bout of honesty is brought on by insomnia and not a troubled conscience, but nevertheless it is an ideal for which I wish more representatives would strive.  And Halle Berry is so so hot.

4. Lord of the Rings Trilogy – When I think the darkness is closing in and all hope is lost, I remember Frodo and the ring and how, against all odds, the smallest of people can change the world.  I know it seems silly, and Tolkien would hate for his stories to become allegory, but to me its true.  As Margaret Mead put it, “Never underestimate the power of a small but committed group of people to change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

3. Rocky – I know its cliche, but the Italian Stallion always inspires me to go out and power up a set of public steps and then dance around on top like I am king of the world.  Who doesn’t love the underdog in Stallone, and feel sometimes as beat up as he, only to triumph in the end?

2. Pre or Without Limits - OK, I know this is a twofer, but they are both so intertwined in my mind I can’t remember which I like better, so I always lump them together.  Of course Prefontaine is one of my all-time heroes, and I will always mourn the tragedy of his short life – and yet envy his ability to go out on top and avoid the eventual fade away most of us will experience.

1. Miracle – There may never be a true story as compelling, at least for Americans, as the Miracle on Ice.  The 1980 US Hockey team beating a stronger, more experienced and for all-practical purposes superior Russian team when it counted most is an unbelievable fairy tale, except that it really happened.  The downfall of this particular movie is that Disney made it so the ice-cream treatment of the plot leaves a little to be desired, but nevertheless the topic is unbeatable.

So that’s my top 5 (or so), but there were many that could have been included.  300, the idea of a small band of Spartans holding off the entire Persian army long enough for Greece to prepare to defend herself is moving.  Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan, Glory, and any number of other war movies come to mind but were purposely left off the list – the fact is they drum up a response of patriotism and pride but do not really inspire me the way others do.  Any Given Sunday, The Replacements, and other football movies can be pretty inspirational, but also kind of all blend together to me – perhaps because I never played football.  Similarly, The Natural and other baseball movies are awesome, but don’t resonate with me personally.  I am sure I have missed a bunch, but that just gives you more opportunity to comment!

Last night’s Democratic nominee debate on the UT campus was an incredible experience.  After volunteering the previous day and witnessing the work and effort that goes into setting up such an event, the day of the debate began with speakers from both camps as well as John King from CNN in our student lounge – just answering questions and candidly discussing both their careers and the upcoming event.  With those insights in mind, I watched the debate in a room full of my classmates, all of us actively engaging the issues ourselves and judging the responses in real time.  What a fascinating and intriguing opportunity, and one that I would not have had without going to the LBJ School of Public Affairs.  So in honor of that opportunity, I am counting today the top 5 reasons I am glad I am at the LBJ School.

5.  The Professors – while I may not agree with many of the professors I have encountered, to even have a chance to engage these knowledgeable and experienced individuals in the issues has really been a great thrill.  I have learned so much from some of these people who have dedicated their lives to the service with which I hope to also become involved.

4. The Skills – I have been able to exercise my writing abilities, but also expanded my presentation and researching skills, my ability to collaborate and work on a team, and leadership through extracurricular opportunities.  I think my critical thinking skills have been enhanced, as my eyes have been opened to varied and diverse policy issues as well as different points of view.

3. The Speakers – as just mentioned, I have been exposed to a variety of policy experts and practitioners with passionate beliefs on myriad issues, and I have delighted in learning about these concerns that otherwise I would not even be aware. 

2. The Opportunities – many of the top five are intertwined, and this one is almost an umbrella for them all, but I believe it to be important enough to have its own point.  The opportunity to dialogue with masters of issue areas, to lead diverse sets of classmates toward a common goal, to gain confidence in my own abilities, and to participate in fascinating pieces of the policy and political world – these opportunities are priceless.

1. The People – the fact is, far and above all the other reasons I am glad to have attend LBJ, I am so thankful to have met young people that think like I and are interested in the things I am interested in and, in the end, want to make the world a better place the way that I do.  I thought I was crazy before coming to LBJ; now I know that I am just part of a mass hysteria of the young that leads many of us to believe we can make a difference.  And I will testify that, of anyone out there, the people I have met at LBJ have the best chance of anyone to do just that.  I am lucky and blessed to have met every single classmate, and feel honored to be in the company of so many great people.

So I intend to get back to the blog a few times a week again, as it is a great medium to test out ideas and a good exercise for me to engage.  I have so little time right now to devote to anything, but one of the speakers yesterday said that in his experience people who can write well and quickly are the most valuable people on politics.  So practicing writing well and quickly, in this blog, must be a good skill to be practicing.  Thanks for your time, let me know what you think when you get the chance!

I don’t know about you, but sometimes (especially on cold, rainy days) I get the distinct feeling that this country is crumbling around us.  I know it is an inevitability that all empires come to an end eventually, but personally, I would rather not have to live through it (or make my children do so).  People say that every generation has their doomsayers and things will be fine, but I would like to give my list of the top five factors that I think contribute to the approaching demise of our great country.   

5. Apathetic voting participation – Sure, there are experts that say it is fine to have only 20 to 30 percent of Americans voting in local elections; this is just an indication that most people are happy with the way things are going.  However, with such small minorities making such important decisions it is easier for interest groups to have their way to the detriment of the public good.  This is a public bad.  And I know people are “just too busy” to educate themselves on the issues and vote, but they don’t seem too busy to discuss at work or vote for the next American Idol…

4. “Politics as Usual” - Our political system is broken, most people would acknowledge that the power is no longer in the hands of the people but instead held by powerful interest groups and lobbyists.  Too many politicians are bought and paid for, and too few people vote in elections to get an independent, populist candidate elected.  This may change someday, however.  One positive in my mind is the traction Ron Paul is getting across the political spectrum.  Perhaps it is not yet time for a candidate that doesn’t do the typical money dance to win, but his success may be a harbinger of change to come. 

3. The Media – Of course at least half the reason “politics as usual” continues to reign despite its ineffectiveness is the way the media play their games.  And for those of you who insist the media is unbiased, take a closer look.  One simple example, the American-Statesman ran an article on the front page of their metro section a few weeks ago about a new coalition of progressive, environmental, anti-development groups to put pressure on City Hall.  This is fine, something that should certainly be covered, but the headline for the continuation of the article inside the section read “JOIN: Interest Group to Fight for Change at City Hall”.  Nowhere in the article was there a discussion of joining the effort, only a description of the group’s interests.  There were any number of other “connection” words the headline writer could have chosen, but “JOIN” neither made any sense nor seemed unbiased in the least.  What is wrong with our media today?  Do they not realize they are driving us into the ground?

2. Public education system – On either side of the argument over our public schools you find the wrong problems being addressed.  Some people insist that if we paid teachers better, and threw more money at schools, we could have the high-achieving marks we desire.  Others say we spend too much money on schools already and no studies link improvement with dollars spent.  But everyone is missing the point – kids just don’t want to learn anymore.  No “pie in the sky” talk about someday, if you work hard enough and study, you too can be a middle manager of some company earning enough to pay the interest on your bills but never get ahead will get these kids to pick up a book.  As long as it isn’t “cool” to do well in school, and peer pressure is so ridiculously powerful that kids feel like walking around shooting their classmates, then we aren’t going to have high-achieving classes.  I don’t care how much we pay our teachers, unless Snoop Dog or Jay-Z tells kids to quit being stupid and start studying, very little is going to get better.

1. Low interest rates -  Sure, the Fed lowering interest rates is good for the economy because it encourages businesses to invest and create jobs and whatnot.  That’s good.  But low interest rates also encourages consumers to spend, and borrow, and spend what they borrow.  Using low interest rates to avoid a recession is really only borrowing against time; all that debt people rack up, even low interest debt, comes due someday.  Meanwhile someone (he or she that has money) gets richer and those that borrow diminish their net worth.  Also, this cheap borrowing power encourages consumerism as religion, and it is really no surprise that we as a population are so deep in debt.  Go to the mall on a Sunday – people look like they are in their church worshipping what truly makes them happiest – the almighty cash register.  But this purchase of things cannot and will not ever completely fill that void inside these people, so they are compelled to continue to want, and spend, and bury themselves deeper into debt.  So many lost souls to this dangerous trap, and it is ruining our country, rotting it from the inside out.

Well, this has been a fun-filled time, hasn’t it?  Tune in next time when we discuss the best ways to end it all, or perhaps the worst moments of my life, something as uplifting as this topic.  But in all seriousness, if we don’t think about these problems and consider ways to address them, then we are complicit in the destruction of our country.  And I love this place too much to let that happen without a fight.  Join me, lets start doing something about this right now.  Let me know if you have any thoughts, I am always open to criticism (and praise!).  Until next time…

Because I forgot to post my top five list last Friday, I will push the envelope and write a  top TEN list of the books I have read.  This is not a list of best books ever written as decided by experts, but instead is my personal opinion that these are all gems for one reason or another.  Feel free to contribute your own if the topic calls to you.

1. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad - The best book ever written, hands down.  Writing in the seventh language he learned, Conrad was a master of the English language and the layers of subtle meaning almost overshadow the deeply moving story.  I read this for four different classes in high school and college, and every time it got better.  I continue to read it for pure enjoyment.

2. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte – Another great nineteenth century novel that some try to peg as a chick’s story, but I think it really illuminates the dark side of obsession, longing and revenge.  Heathcliff is one messed character, and the literary apparatus used to tell the story mostly makes up for the hokey ending.

3. Dracula, Bram Stoker – Rounding out the nineteenth century novels (when authors really knew how to write), this tale has endured in the collective imagination, as ageless as the monster himself.  What is it about the invasion of a foreign enemy that no amount of modern English science and know-how can defeat that captures us so fully?  A pretty amazing, well-written story too.

4. Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Tolkien – I had to count these as one because otherwise this would be a much shorter list.  I read these when I was young, read them again in college, and then more recently, and they never lose their charm.  The movies are great too, but the books are irreplaceable.  I think these stories bring out a little bit of hero in all of us.

5. Richard III, Shakespeare – My favorite Shakespearean play, by far.  “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of York,” begins the tale of another obsessed character, this one completely mad for power.  Shakespeare was a phenomenal writer, and any number of his plays could be in this top ten list, but I am particularly fond of Richard and his conniving tale.

6. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike – I love Updike’s voice, and believe he is one of the greatest short fiction writers ever.  His Rabbit series is wonderful and rich, and in them he deals with American life in such an honest and myopic way that I can’t help but include this one on my list.

7. Lord of the Flies, William Golding – Is man born pure and good, and those that fall in sin are just victims of their environment, or is man born evil with nothing but civilization to keep us in line?  This is the question dealt with in this wonderful novel in which the boys are separated from civilization and set free to follow their base impulses.  Guess which side of the coin Golding falls on.

8. Beloved, Toni Morrison – Eloquent, disturbing, a wonderfully told story that is troubling to read but makes an impression in your mind and in your heart that can never be removed.  What better compliment could be given a piece of fiction?

9. Once A Runner, John L Parker, Jr – Not on many classic literature lists, this tale is the most accurately described running story I have ever read.  In perfect detail Parker is able to capture the desire, the pain, the ideal imagination of a high-performance distance runner better than my own memory can serve.  If you want to have some idea of what people like Cameron and I went through in college, read this book (if you can find it.  It’s been out of print for years and goes for hundreds of dollars online). 

10. Freakanomics, Stephen Levitt – I know, this non-fiction piece doesn’t seem to fit on the list of an English major, but reading this book opened my eyes to the amazing world of statistics and economic theory applied to the everyday world.  Outside the classroom and hypothetical realm of academia, these applications are intensely useful and help us analyze problems in new ways.

So that’s it.  One final observation that just came to me as I survey my list of favorite books – many of them seem to explore the theme of obsession.  I wonder if that’s a coincidence?  Perhaps pater I will write more about this, it is an odd observation to be sure.  Let me know what you think.

2008 will bring many new and intriguing changes to our world.  The US will have a new president, there will be a new college football champion, and I will have a new job (and a new degree, lord willing).  We may be living somewhere else, maybe even a new city.  Who knows what might lie ahead?  Here are my best guesses, for the whole world to see, listed in the order of my confidence in them.

1. The person elected president will have promised peace in Iraq with the return of our troops, a restored US economy, and an end to partisan politics.  None of these things will actually occur, however.

2. There will be a recession in the US economy, there will be some tough times for a lot of Americans, but it won’t be as bad as some people want to predict.  Housing prices will dip, more drastically in some places than others, unemployment will increase, and the Federal government will try unprecedented measures to correct the problems before the election in November, which will only exacerbate the problem.  But we will recover, if not in 09 then before the midterm elections.

3. My wife will either realize a significant promotion at her place of employment or will be working somewhere else by the end of 2008.  I believe her patience has worn thin enough for her to finally take the risk.

4. The college football season will be neither surprising, nor unpredictable.  For all the discussion around “parity” this year and a new era of a level field, I don’t believe the plethora of upsets could be explained any better than a bunch of underachieving teams let themselves go.  Next year, there will be some upsets, the traditional powerhouses will undoubtedly prevail, there will be two undefeated teams from BCS conferences playing for the championship, and the dream of parity will have faded from memory.

5.  The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing will have significant off-the-field drama.  These games are considered by the People’s Republic to be their “coming out” statement to the world.  Look how powerful and impressive this communist country has become, despite their detractor’s claims.  But when the spotlight does shine on this backward country, and the human rights’ atrocities become undeniably evident, the world will not stand by and say nothing.  Athletes may make statements, international visitors might, the media may even get in the game if it becomes popular enough.  But it is hard for me to fathom all those people hosted by China to not become appalled at the censorship and heavy-handed state affairs.  How China reacts to the criticism is going to involve the real drama.

And my last, fun prediction – Britney Spears, jealous of the attention her easy little sister is getting over her pregnancy, decides to become really trashy and sleep with every inmate in the Orange County Jail and refuse paternal tests – that way her baby daddy will always be an unknown criminal.  Beat that Jamie Lynn!

‘Tis the season, and while most people are thinking of Christmas songs, debating their favorites, etc, I thought I might go a less conventional route and name my top five favorite songs about angels – not Christmas songs per se, but angels do figure pretty predominantly into the season, so why not?

Of course the real angel in my life inspires this list.  Since I have met Tara I have thought of her as my angel – she has saved me from myself more times than I can count, and I am sure I would not be here without her.  So I have had an affinity for songs about angels for almost ten years now, ever since my angel came into my life.

5. One Angel – Stir.  Not a song a lot of people know, but this St Louis band has rocked my collection since I saw them in 1997, and this song has always had a particular message with meaning.  Find it, you’ll like it.

4. Angel – Jimi Hendrix.  Come on, this one is great.  While it doesn’t exactly make me think the happiest thoughts, it is iconic and has to be included.

3. Angel in Harlem – U2.  Again, not one that relates particularly to the wife, but a great rock song nonetheless.

2. She Talks to Angels – Black Crowes.  This song is heartbreaking.  I have always loved this song, and have a great acoustic version that is haunting.  This girl, that talks to angels, is an intriguing one that would spell doom for any man she meets, but through no fault of her own.  Can you imagine her?  I think this song does a great job of describing a secret desire of many.

1. Seven Spanish Angels – Willie Nelson and Ray Charles. What a duet, and what a song.  I love this song and love to imagine the story.  This reckless, foolish love that drives the protagonists is wonderful.  The Seven Spanish Angels will someday come for me, I hope.

I feel as though I am missing one, but just can’t remember it here in the ole hometown at the parents’ house.  If I think of it I will add it later.  Merry Christmas, I hope to post more regularly soon!

Just because I’m in school, that doesn’t mean I learned anything.  What I mean is, everyone learns regardless of whether or not he or she is in school.  Maybe I shouldn’t blog late on the Friday evening after finals and an excellent bottle of champagne.  So it goes, but here is the list of top five things I learned this year (in no particular order):

5. Public finance is so much like classic literature.  Seriously, who knew?  But just like good literature, there are things written “between the lines” in a public financial statement that explains more fully what real priorities, and real problems, exist in a particular municipality.  They also say what it means to be human, and suffer under the common condition – or maybe not.

4. I don’t like surprise parties.  I like throwing them, and I like going to them, but I am not real good at being surprised.  Maybe one of the hardest things I’ve done in my entire life was switching moods from raging mad to super happy in .03 seconds when the surprise was sprung for my 30th birthday party.  Mission Accomplished, I was surprised!

3. I like to blog! I know its silly but I do. This medium that I had heard so much about but knew very little was opened to me by two distinctly different venues – my good friend Hilary Marchbanks and her super blog, and a great class I took this fall called Internet and Public Policy given by Professor Chapman.  Hilary helped me get over my fear, and Professor Chapman illustrated the power the blogosphere can wield.

2. Hierarchical statistical modeling is very powerful. I (almost) accurately predicted this year’s National Collegiate Football Champion last January.  Just because this season was the strangest in history and my model didn’t actually get the right team, I think it wasn’t the model’s fault!  Damn you Appalachian State, you started the madness!

1. Fire in the hole sauce burns as much coming out as going down.  Nuff said.

There you have it.  I may have forgotten something, feel free to let me know.  Thanks!

Ah, the end of the year draws nigh, and it is in the twilight that we spend time looking back and pondering how far we have come.  So it is that I begin this pensive mood with a top five list of my best moments in 2007.  I know it may not be as riveting to some as others, but nevertheless, it is what I am going to write about.  If you don’t like it then TOUGH! 

5.  The All-Comers Cross Country Meet in July.  For those of you who may not know, I ran in high school and college, and in the years since have grown to miss those days.  But this past summer I talked a group of my friends to come run a free, all-comers cross country race in Zilker Park one fine Friday evening.  Sure it was hot, and all the high school kids made us feel old, but it was the closest thing to a real XC race I had experienced in years, and it made me smile.  Running through shin-high grass up hills and through the trees, around landmarks and to the painted finish line – it was great.  The greatest part of it, however, was having my “team”, my friends there with me.  I will always think of them sweating it out to support some silly idea of mine as a strong testament to the greatness of my friends.

4. Landing my internship with Fitch Ratings.  From early in the fall semester I thought I wanted to pursue public finance, and the best route seemed via municipal bond rating.  The competition was fierce for the Fitch internship, and when I found out I was the one, I couldn’t have felt better about myself.  It seemed everything was working out exactly right, the world was right, and the sky was the limit.  What a great feeling that was.

3. Colin Thomas Brown was born.  What a wonderful and blessed occurrence!  My best friend and his wife have a beautiful, healthy baby boy, everyone is healthy and joyous, the occasion was momentous.  The first of many signals that we’re all grown up!  You can’t ask for more than that, and to see Cameron and Tab, and proud uncle Kevin and aunt Sarah, as happy as they were, it was a wonderful moment in history.

2. Lollapalooza 2007.  Chicago (in the summer) is freaking awesome, the music festival was incredible, seeing Eddie Vedder backstage was amazing, and hanging with some of my best friends – priceless.  What a great weekend, an experience I will surely remember for the rest of my life.

1. My surprise 30th birthday party.  As mentioned earlier, I have some great friends.  My wife completely surprised me, the story is great (but better told in person).  Being roasted was fun and enjoyable.  But seeing so many people there that care about me meant more than anything else.  I get by with a little help from my friends, and my top five list of best moments wouldn’t be the same without them. 

Here’s to another great year gone by, and a better one to come!  Happy Holidays–