a person's ability to Change

Wow, it's been awhile. I'd get you caught up on what I've been doing, but it's mostly been a lot of work stuff that's either boring to anyone not directly involved or, like, confidential.

I did sign up for the Danskin Triathlon in Austin again, so I'm training for that again. I also ran/walked my first 10k yesterday (about 6.2 miles). I kind of thought I'd walk most of it, but I ran a lot! I couldn't believe it! Especially since the course was filled with hills, and I'd only ever jogged a 5k before. My race buddies Emily, Danielle and I finished at EXACTLY 1:27, which isn't bad for a non-runner's first 10k, I say.

I've gotten a lot of support and congrats for this race, for which I am so grateful. I have amazing family and friends, and I love them. It's also made me realize something:

If you want people to be impressed with your athletic prowess, spend a lifetime being a lazy-ass couch potato first.

Because, after all, I have plenty of friends who do races, and when they finish them and tell me about it, I always offer support and congratulations. But they don't always brag about it first of all, so I don't always know about it. But mostly, the friends I know who do races are kind of jocks already. So when they finish a race, it's kind of like, well sure. Of course you did that. Well done.

But I've realized that when I finish a race people are like, Wow! Good for you! I'm so impressed! It's awesome, amazing support and encouragement and, I'm not gonna lie, a big factor in deciding to do more races.

That said, it has occurred to me that all these encouraging people may not be solely impressed at my ability to clock a 14-minute mile. I'm thinking that perhaps that nagging doubt that I can't possibly keep this up when there's so much good TV on is a very real factor. People are inspired by the transformation from Couch Potato to Race Finisher.

And if you are, I say again (like I always do): If I can do it ANYONE can do it. Seriously.

As I continue to do more races, I expect the enthusiasm will die down, and that's fine. Much like I think of myself as a Short Hair Girl going through a Long Hair Experiment, I still think of myself as a Non-Athletic Woman Who Sometimes Does Races. As long as I, and others, still think of me that way, every race I take on will be impressive. (Hell, as long as there's always good TV on, I'll always be impressed with my ability to stick to a training plan.) When the people around me start responding to my endeavors, however, with "Well sure. Of course you did that. Well done," then I'll know that I have truly changed.

And by the time that point in my life rolls around, who knows how long my hair will be?

vote FOR equality

Two things in today's blog. 1) I met Amy Sedaris and 2) I am deeply concerned about a growing movement of hate, ignorance and intolerance in my state of California.

I will address the second first, and then finish off with the cute story.

Many of my dearest, most beloved friends got married this year.

Kristin & Mark


Amanda & Eyad


Anna & Ted


Ryan & Chris


I found out today that support FOR Proposition 8--a measure that would amend the California constitution to ban marriage for same sex couples--has actually grown. It's actually ahead in the polls.

I can't even believe it. I thought it would get a sound smackdown, and I'd just find myself feeling sorry for that percent of my state that is so filled with hate and fear in their hearts that they would misguidedly vote for such a measure.

The thing is, they've launched this huge advertising and grassroots campaign that claims all kinds of nonsense. They actually believe that if we allow couples like Chris and Ryan to get married, it poses some kind of threat to their values and their way of life. They've even suggested that it will somehow affect kids in school, or something? It's ridiculous.

The Huffington Post/RADAR posted a sample of this kind of outreach, along with a point-by-point response to all their ridiculous claims, so I don't really need to get into that here. The California Superintendent of Schools also did a great job of rebuffing the latest attack.

The biggest concern now, 11 days away from from the election, is making sure they have enough funds to reach the voters of California and make sure they understand that voting AGAINST Prop 8 is a vote FOR equality.

For Kristin & Mark, Amanda & Eyad, and Anna & Ted, I got them a wedding present off their registry. Ryan and Chris told us specifically, "We have too much stuff--no presents!" So instead, I'd like to do this for them: all of you who would like to protect civil rights and the right for everyone to marry in California, please donate whatever you can to No on Prop 8. You might not get a thank you card, but you will get a nice warm fuzzy knowing that you've contributed to California couples in love, who deserve the same civil rights as anyone else.

Now for the cute story: I went to a book signing for Amy Sedaris last night where she did a Q & A with the audience (always awkward, I hate them), a woman actually asked her to cut her hair (Amy: "Um. When was the last time you washed it?") and she did, and then signed copies of her fantastic book, I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. My friend Dre was kind enough to snap a picture of us together, so I walked behind the table, stood next to her, and here's what happened next:
Dre: Wait a minute, I have to take another one, your eyes were closed.
Amy: Mine?
Dre: No, Dinah's.
Amy: Bitch.

ONLY Amy Sedaris gets to call me a bitch and make me love her even more.

Number 2785

I have an official race bib number. On Sunday, I will be Number 2785.

We got to Austin yesterday and went directly to the Whole Foods flagship store (aka Willy Wonka's Organic Foods Factory) for lunch, because they have the best salad bars you've ever seen.

Today, it is raining. Weather.com says it's going to rain until Monday, with possible thunderstorms on Sunday. Now the only thing I'm more nervous about than doing the race is not getting to do the race after all my hard work. Not that it would be canceled due to just rain, but I hear lightening around lakes is dangerous.

So right now I'm praying for decent weather. Dry roads would be best for biking, but hey--I've biked in hail and I know how to work my brakes on a wet road. I can take a couple rain drops. Swimming in rain is... whatever, we're already wet. Running is fine, because at least it won't be a million degrees hot, which was the initial concern. I did a light, 30-minute walk/jog around the neighborhood where I'm staying, and either from rain or humidity or sweat or, like today, a combination of all three, it's just going to be a wet race. And that's fine.

I'm as ready as I'm going to get. I have a Race Plan (because when the Going Gets Tough, Dinah Makes a Spreadsheet), I have all my gear, I have a bike reserved, and I'm as trained as I can be. I might be doing a little more walking than I would like, but I'm okay with it.

All I need now is some last-minute encouragement to help quell the general anxiety & nerves I've been feeling all week. I'm going to collect them all and read them the night before my race, and remember that I am loved and supported and I CAN DO THIS!!

Thanks to everyone who has already called or emailed their support! Also, if you're feeling generous and want a little warm fuzzy for yourself today, feel free to click here and donate to the Team Survivor pledge program. This isn't like other races, where you have to commit to raise a certain amount of money. BUT there's no harm in kicking in a couple bucks for breast cancer research is there? If you want to do it in my name, then use the info below:
Name: Dinah McLean
Hometown: North Hollywood, CA
Race City: Austin, TX

Thanks everyone!!!

nutty

What a nutty day.

I love a 3-day weekend as much as the next girl, but this one was kind of exhausting. We went out to dinner, played Rock Band, went to brunch, went to a BBQ, saw Indy, and hosted a Memorial Day brunch for some of our nearest and dearest friends.

And can I just take this moment to gush over how awesome our friends are? Of the 12 possible attendees, 10 RSVP'd yes, and only two of those couldn't make it at the last minute. I was expecting maybe half to RSVP/show, for a small, cozy group. But even though there were 10 of us around the table in the end, it still felt small and cozy and fun and rad. It was like Thanksgiving, only with Egg Dish instead of turkey, and way less stress. And God bless my friends for letting me experiment on them and test out new recipes, most of which came out perfect. (The "I Don't Want Earl's Baby" Pie came out a little runny, but still tasted delicious.)

Anyhoo, today. Has been nutty with a trip to the vet, 3 appointments (1 canceled), several deadlines, 1 big Win, and I'm already tired even though I still have to train. Tonight I'm going to go to pair up my bike & run and see how wobbly my legs are walking/jogging after 12 miles on the bike.

I'm excited to go, though, and wear some of my new gear. Because the only thing I obsess about more than the triathlon training is my triathlon outfit, and how ridiculous I'll look. I'm resigned to looking pretty ridiculous since I'll be wearing bike shorts and, Helloooooooo, Thighs! That said, I think my new hat & sunglasses help make me look like an actual jock.


"Yeah, I do triathlons. You know, for fun. 'Cause I'm so tough & athletic & all."

ETA: I ended up going out later than I expected, so I only biked 6.45 miles before running 2.4 miles. I learned that I'm going to have to kick off my 5k with about 5 minutes of walking, and I learned that I can jog at a slow/easy pace for at least 25 minutes straight. I am hopeful that this training and these findings will help me sort out a decent run time in a couple weeks.

I also used my time on the bike to write the following alternate lyrics to Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For?" Stick 'em in the bridge where she goes off on Japan & shit.
"I can't wait to go,
Starting with the swim.
I don't even need no fins.
I switch to bicycle,
And then I'm gonna run
Right across the finish line.
Go!"
~ dedicated to Team Queso

I love Christmas in LA

Generally speaking, I feel that LA gets a bad rap. The traffic, the smog, the obnoxious Hollywood/hipster types, and general assumption that there are a lot of plastic, disingenuous people in the city are all pretty much true, and can be a pretty big bummer. Honestly, I didn't love LA for a full 18 months after we moved here.

And then something switched, and I started loving it. There's a lot I love about LA, actually, but mostly I love Christmas in LA. Sure, it's not all snowy & picturesque, but hi, it's 60 degrees right now, I don't need 6 layers of clothes when I go outside, I know my car will start when I put the key in and won't need to "warm up" for 5 minutes before I drive it, there are no windows to scrape, and the traffic is just typically crappy, instead of crappy and icy.

Best of all, lookit all the stuff you can do and see!
1. The LA Zoo: My undying love for the LA Zoo is well documented, but the zoo is even better at Christmas.


Reindeer! Santa! Fun photo ops! Churros!



And if you're a member like me, you can go as often as you want (I popped by one day just to shop in the gift shop & say hi to the lemurs--because I can).

2. The LA DWP Lights in Griffith Park: Every year the LA Department of Water and Power does this big stretch of light displays depicting Los Angeles history and landmarks plus holiday music that is free to the public and also rad. You can either drive slowly through it or park and walk, which is what we did.



3. The Capitol Records Building: Quintessentially LA, the Capitol Records building is a landmark to see all on its own. But every Christmas, they rig a tree to the top of it. This photo isn't great (taken out of my car from over on Cahuenga), but it gives you the general idea. It's a small thing, but it makes me happy.



4. Youngwood Court: There's this house on 3rd St. in the swank Hancock Park neighborhood that is all white and features a long row of miniature statues of The David lining their semi-circle driveway. On its own, this ridiculously ornate house is a fun treat to drive past with out-of-towners. At Christmas, the owners put a Santa hat on each of their David Statues, put big Santa faces on the house itself, park Santa & Mrs. Clause mannequins in the front yard on a bench, and craft a giant, sparkly new year to plunk next to it.



When I lived in Hollywood and worked in Korea Town, I used to drive past this house every day. Last year, I finally drove to it with my camera and took pictures.



5. North Poleywood: My favorite of all the lights and decorations around the city, and we can walk to it from our house.



This place... is insane. They pull out the decorations the day after Halloween, and it goes live the day after Thanksgiving. Every year, it gets bigger, brighter and more ornate. It is, by far, the most Christmas lights and decorations I've ever seen concentrated on one house. It's like a Christmas Giant stomped into our neighborhood and threw up Christmas awesomeness all over the house and yard. I took a truckload of photos, but decided it couldn't really do it proper justice--you can't even see all the moving parts. So I took a video instead (apologies for the poor quality and shaky cam).


For more fun pics of LA around December, click here. Oh, and if you're celebrating Christmas next Tuesday, I hope it's merry and fabulous!

I know it helps

Readers of my blog, I need your help!

More specifically, my friends need your help. More specifically than that, they need your prayers and a little of your money.

My friend Chris was run over by a car in New York on Tuesday 8/14. Without going into too much detail, suffice to say that his injuries are extensive, he's still in the hospital, and his recovery will be long and hard. Those of you who know Mac & I from Seattle, or came to our wedding may remember Chris as an old friend of Mac's and one of his groomsmen (or "henchmen"). And even if you don't know him, I believe in the power of good thoughts and positive vibes and prayers and karma. So if you could throw some out for him and his wife Julie, I know they will help.

I'd also like your prayers for an old friend of mine from college, Krista. Krista and I were suite mates my sophomore year, which meant that the cell blocks that passed for our dorm rooms were adjoined by a pair of sinks and a mirror. I found out a couple weeks ago that Krista has Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. She's currently in the first stages of remission, but her best shot at survival is a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. This costs approximately $250,000, and she has no health insurance. Her people have created an awesome web site for her, however, to help get the word out and try and raise some money for her. If you'd like to check it out and maybe kick in a couple bucks, go here:

Krista Berry Bryan Fundraiser

Thank you, my friends and family, for looking this over and contributing whatever you can, even if it's a brief plea to the universe to help these people out. I know it helps.

it is NOT easy to be a teenager

This is going to sound like a commercial, and I don't care.

On Friday Mac & I went to the Step Up Women's Network Inspiration Awards Luncheon. Which, wow, that's a mouthful, huh? Step Up is a really cool organization, though. They do a lot, but primarily focus on helping young girls living in challenging environments (like, say, south central LA) to build their confidence, engage in healthy activities, improve their education, and ultimately go to college. The goal is to break the destructive cycle so many at-risk youths find themselves in today.

While we were there, we saw a row of young teenagers declare they were going to college for all different reasons--and they'd all be the first in their families to do so. We heard from one girl who, although she used to be painfully shy and down on herself, got up in front of a room full of people and unabashedly informed us all that it is NOT easy to be a teenager. Another girl read the essay that won her a college scholarship, in which she talked about how her biological mother chose drugs over her and her two siblings. And her adoptive parents told her that she'd never amount to anything, and probably just end up knocked up and on drugs just like her mother. Her parents. And yet, because of Step Up, she's getting out of that environment, and going to college.

Needless to say, it was an emotional, amazing event. There were some celebrity guest speakers too, but really they weren't nearly as cool as those kids. If you haven't clicked through already, check out their website to see if there are ways you could get involved, and help change a young girl's life for the better!

Wow. THANK YOU!

I have been having the most amazing day, and it isn't even over yet.

First of all, I got to wake up to happy puppies and a present from mAc. Then the emails started coming in. I also had asked my mom for some photos of her from the 70's that I could use as inspiration for the super-rad 1975 party we're having this Saturday, and she not only sent me the beautiful photos in my previous entry (that's her and Dad on the day they brought me home from the hospital), but she also sent these:


Stunning, right?

Other online treats include some of the cutest online e-cards I've ever seen, and even my own dedicated birthday page on Jeff's evilmarketing.com site. (Which is even more meaningful when you consider that he thinks my chosen profession is Evil.)

To top it all off, I just got a voicemail from Amanda singing this song almost in its entirety. Because, as you know, it's the song playing in Sixteen Candles where Sam is taking the "who would you DO IT with?" quiz in study hall. (Answer: Jake Ryan DUH!) It's also the song that's been in my head all freaking day.

I'm just overwhelmed and happy and grateful. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you everyone! I love you!
MmmmmmmmmmmmWAH!

It's so common.

Happy Monday everyone!

Today, I'd like to use my power for good, in so much as I have power or more than a handful of readers. (Hi mom!)

But I'd like to do something special today. My good friend Julie is walking The Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk in Tampa Bay, FL in October.

It's a 60-mile walk over the course of three days. Which, first of all, WOW. She and her teammate, also named Julie, have also committed to raising a whopping $10,000. Net proceeds will benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Philanthropic Trust, funding important breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment.

Why is this important? Because if think about it for even 5 seconds, you'll find you're less than 6 degrees from a woman who has experienced, fought, survived, or even succumbed to breast cancer. It's so common. For me, I think of my aunt and my best friend's mom. And I think of my cousins and my best friend, because heredity can increase a woman's chances of developing breast cancer. I think about me, actually. It's not out of the question, we never know, and all we can do is
1. Do regular exams, both self-exams and regular doctor visits.
2. Continue to do whatever it takes for a cure.

In Julie's case, that means walking. And walking and walking and walking, evidently. She's training her ass off, and charting the progress in her blog, here. She's also raising a truckload of money, and I'd like to invite anyone who's reading this who knows a woman or is a woman or just enjoys the boobies (you know who you are) to chip in, even if it's only $5.

Thanks everyone! You're the best blog readers EVER!

Happy Birthday

Scorpio 10/23 or 24 - 11/21 or 22 (sources vary the cusp)
Symbol: The Scorpion
Curious, intuitive, controlling, beautiful, stubborn, hard-working, intense, compulsive, analytical, passionate, self-destructive, desirable, complex, forceful, secretive, resourceful, emotional, powerful, magnetic, jealous, obsessive, exciting, suspicious, and sexy. And, oh yeah, completely hung up on the fact that they're Scorpios.

Happy birthday, kids.


And a little something extra for my favorite Scorpio, whose birthday is actually today. Give him some love, people. Ain't he cute?

A Place Called Home

Yesterday was Community Service Day at work, so I went to this place in South Central LA called "A Place Called Home" to volunteer. The description on the sign-up sheet just said "Music" and I figured, I've got over 20 years of experience as a musician, plus even more as an obsessive music fan, that sounds like fun.

It really was. It was completely disorganized, the woman leading the class had no idea what we should do with the kids, we had no idea how to prepare, so we ended up doing a trivia game with them. Imagine 30+ 8 year olds yelling "Michael Jackson! 50 Cent! Tito Puente!" out for every single answer, and that'll give you an idea of my afternoon. Still, they were pretty great kids and I had a blast.

It was amazing to see what they knew, and what they didn't know. Like, there's a picture of Jimi Hendrix in their classroom, so when I pointed to it and asked, "Who is this?" imagine my surprise when they answered, with great authority, "Bob Marley!" Huh? I mean, I can totally understand not being familiar with Jimi, but they did know Bob... interesting. So of course, I took the opportunity to give them a brief lesson in rock history. Ever tried to explain the difference between Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley to large group of inner city children before? It's kind of fun. I mean, they really want to know this stuff (or at least they acted interested for my benefit).

It was fascinating to discover that they knew the musical alphabet (A - G), but they didn't know what a scale was (Do Re Mi, etc). Or they'd know who Charlie Parker was, but not James Brown. Again, I don't expect them to know James Brown, but Charlie? I also found it highly amusing that when we asked them, "Who sings, 'I feel good! (Na ne na ne na ne na) I knew that I would now,'" we had more than one perplexed face in the room when we told them "Eddie Murphy" was the wrong answer.

The funniest/most alarming, yet technically correct answer of the day (from an 8 year old):
Q. Name one band or singer that would fall into the category of Rock Music.
A. Marilyn Manson

At the end of our class, I was brimming with ideas for another session. The trivia game might have been a little crazy, especially since we were pulling questions out of thin air on the spot and they were either too hard or too easy. But it turned out to be a great way to find out what they know, and what they don't know. I've already started compiling song ideas for one or two mix CDs to send over to the class that would include all types of music, from Mozart to Aretha, so they can learn different genres and artists. I want to create more games and activities so they can learn more about different instruments, and basic music theory. I want to teach them song after song after song. In short, I want to go back.

This has been a huge experience for me. The truth is, I've always been passionate about the importance of music in education. Music programs keep kids occupied with something stimulating, instead of out on the streets where they can get into trouble (or worse, unfortunately). They make the world a bigger place for them. They give kids something to try to improve and a sense of achievement when it happens. They have a huge impact on how they learn other subjects in school. For example:

1) History: A volunteer played a waltz on the piano, which they correctly identified as classical music. We went a little further after they answered the question and explained what a waltz is, and how people used to dance to them a long time ago. They asked, "Like in the 70's?" Well, sure. The 1770's. Their eyes widened, and their faces lit up, as if it suddenly occurred to them how old that song must be. Imagine where you could take that. Like, what else happened in the 1770's that they might be interested in?

2) Language: The same volunteer pantomimed playing a harp for them, only to have one of them answer, "Ark! It's an ark!" After working with him for a little bit, we found out that he had the right idea, but he didn't know the word harp. So we spelled it on the white board and had everyone sound it out.

3) Math: In order to measure beats of music or rhythm, you need to understand different lengths of notes. In traditional 4/4 time, there are four beats in one measure of music. A whole note contains four beats--it takes up the whole measure. A half note has 2 beats--it takes up half the measure. A quarter note has 1 beat. An eighth note equals half a beat. Getting kids to understand rhythms takes a basic understanding of counting, adding, dividing and even simple fractions.

Music programs for kids do all this and so much more. What's sad is that in most areas of our country, they have been cut from school curriculums because US public schools don't get enough funding to put towards new books and decent teachers, much less rental instruments that kids can take home and practice. So the opportunities for kids to learn music become extremely limited. Families with enough money can buy instruments, pay for private lessons and get their kids into orchestras and other organizations outside of school. Families without the income or resources are lucky if they can bring their kids to A Place Called Home.

If you're in the LA area and would like to volunteer, please visit their website or give me a buzz--maybe we could go over together. (If you're a musician, even a bad one, even better!) If you have ideas for activities these kids could do, or opinions on what kinds of songs I should put in these CDs I'm mixing, please leave them in the Comments section below, or email me if you have my address. If you're outside of LA or haven't a clue what kinds of things would be good for a music class, but still want to help, visit their website. I'm sure they're always happy to accept donations.

Happy V-Day

Not to be confused with VD. Because, ew!

Farewell to 04

In 2004, the highs were high, the lows were low and the boobs were abundant, starting with the Super Bowl half-time show featuring Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. A war raged in Iraq and most of the world was against it, but a narrow majority of US citizens decided it was a good idea to let a different kind of boob run the country for four more years anyway. The rest of us spent Wednesday, November 3rd weeping and gnashing our teeth in frustration. The Passion of the Christ and Fahrenheit 9/11 stirred up all kinds of controversy, while The Daily Show with Jon Stewart kept us laughing about it all. Ashlee Simpson, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan and Tara Reid were all overly exposed. You know why. Martha Stewart went to jail and the Pistons and the Pacers got so upset about it they started a brawl in the stands to protest. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason turned out to be a ridiculously bad movie, but Helen Fielding's latest book, Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination turned out to be ridiculously fun. Ron Perlman made an excellent Hellboy and the props department made him an excellent gun, a copy of which mAc later received for his 30th birthday. On April 1, 2004, we got engaged at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Pasadena. This year, we literally attended four weddings and, sadly, a funeral. We also attended the college graduation of mAc's mom, Val, and couldn't be prouder. This year we said goodbye to Angel, the last of our Joss Whedon TV show addictions, but said hello to JJ Abrams' amazing Lost. And then, we met Joss as well as most of our favorite cast members from Buffy, Angel and Firefly and they were awesome. We both worked hard and traveled so much that between the two of us we were in at least 11 different airports over the course of the year. 2004 movies were filled with zombies a-go-go, including Dawn of the Dead, Resident Evil 2 and the hilarious Shaun of the Dead. mAc auditioned to be the Independent Film Channel's Ultimate Film Fanatic, but it turns out he was very popular in Seattle, and so was disqualified for knowing two of the contestants. New babies Paul Muntersbjorn, Hayden Lee, Conner & Phoebe McLean and Spencer McLean all graced us with their arrival, while Marlon Brando, Christopher Reeve and Johnny Ramone all bid us farewell. Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume 2 and the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, CA rocked our socks off. In 2004 we made even more good friends here in the City of Angels, with whom we stood gobsmacked, pensive and bewildered at the world gone crazy around us… and then we shook it off and went for margaritas. And throughout all of these events, this is what we were listening to.


Somebody Told Me/The Killers – Because it’s one of our favorites of 2004.
Triple Trouble/The Beastie Boys – Because it’s the Boys at their political-yet-danceable best.
On Top Of Your World/ Sahara Hotnights – Because they’re chicks, they’re Swedish and they rock.
Talk to Me, Dance with Me/Hot Hot Heat – Because you can’t not shake your ass to that cowbell.
Still in Love Song/The Stills – Because if you went back in time, this would be perfect for the Valley Girl soundtrack.
Ghost in the Radio/Pretty Girls Make Graves – Because it sounds so very good so very loud.
Dark of the Matinee/Franz Ferdinand – Because despite being yet another 80’s pop rock throw-back, they’re actually excellent.
Glass Danse/The Faint – Because if New Order sounded a little more industrial, they’d sound like this.
Such Great Heights/The Postal Service – Because it sounds rad bouncing around on a good pair of speakers.
Mirando De Lado/Kinky – Because it’s Latin techno dance funk. Yes, all four.
All Night (Don’t Stop)/ Janet Jackson – Because she does more things well than flash her goodies.
Hollaback Girl/Gwen Stefani – Because she made the marching band’s drum corps cool.
Are We The Waiting Unknown/Green Day – Because it’s the best power rock ballad the 80’s hair bands never made.
Beautiful Child/Rufus Wainright – Because it’s so over-produced, it’s awesome.
Fall To Pieces/Velvet Revolver – Because it’s so different from Patsy Cline’s song by the same name. And also, beautiful.
She Wants to Move/N.E.R.D. – Because the primal beat makes you want to dance around like the sexy bitch in the song.
Shut Up/Black Eyed Peas – Because the nod to Peggy Lee at the end is only the cherry on top.
Maps/Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Because even punk bands can sing sweet, yearning love songs.
So Says I/The Shins – Because it’s upbeat and happy and yet totally not annoying.
Do You Realize??/The Flaming Lips – Because it has all the anthem-like, wall-of-sound qualities required for a big finish.