Andy Laub

2008 ended last week, I guess. I feel like I wrote a decent amount, and I had every intention of writing a sort of “year in review” type of post. But I never got to a point where I had the right tone in my head, so instead I present you with this meme I found on the internerd. INTERNERD.

Achievements & Landmarks

What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

Lost weight on purpose. Went into debt for a car that I fell in love with.

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I guess so, and probably not. They were always a half-hearted promise to eat better and take better care of myself. Also I’m pretty sure I was resolving about a Mac Pro heavily at this time last year.

Did anyone close to you give birth?

Uh, our neighbors? Or did you mean emotionally close? Then no.

Did anyone close to you die?

Sort of close. It would be wrong to say we weren’t close at some point.

What countries did you visit?

This one.

What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

Patience.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I don’t think there’s one big thing that stands out, but I’m really proud of the work I did on Over the River and Through the Woods and Sweeney Todd. And losing weight counts as a major thing for me.

What was your biggest failure?

I let things fall by the wayside that shouldn’t have, and got angry way more than I should have.

What was the best thing you bought?

The Mac was the most practical best thing, and the Miata was the least practical best thing.

Whose behavior merited celebration?

What? Not mine, that’s for sure.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

People I thought I could trust. Myself included.

Where did most of your money go?

Toys. Lots of toys.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Grand Theft Auto IV. Driving stick. Singing in public.

What song will always remind you of 2008?

Monsters, by Matchbook Romance. Lame, I know, but it got me stoked for rides at Nine Mile.

Compared to this time last year, are you:

Happier or sadder?

Sadder, but I shouldn’t be.

Thinner or fatter?

Way, way thinner.

Richer or poorer?

Richer.

Miscellany

What do you wish you’d done more of?

Enjoying myself. Letting things go.

What do you wish you’d done less of?

Worrying. Spending money.

How did you be spend Christmas?

With people whose company I enjoy.

Did you fall in love in 2008?

Only on stage.

How many one-night stands?

None.

What was your favorite TV program?

I enjoyed SNL, as usual. Surprise second goes to Prison Break for no reason whatsoever.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Yeah.

What was the best book you read?

I don’t know – something that was on the bookshelf.

What was your greatest musical discovery?

Stephen Sondheim. The man is a genius.

What did you want and get?

Dollars, which enabled me to get many other things that I wanted.

What did you want and not get?

Resolution. Recognition.

What were your favorite films of this year?

Iron Man, easily. Dark Knight was also enjoyable.

What did you do on your birthday?

Complain. It was a tough day for me this year. That’s what I get for being born on Christmas Eve.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

“Hey, this fits me now!”

What kept you sane?

The internerd. Driving. Acting.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Obama would be a logical answer.

What political issue stirred you the most?

Obvious also starts with an “O”.

Who did you miss?

People I could only talk to online.

Who was the best new person you met?

Somebody who helps keep me sane.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:

Let. It. Go.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

I don’t think I can. That’s pretty lame, even for this.

I am still livid. We’ll start with that. I worry about what’s going to happen in the next four years. I don’t want to think about it but I can’t help worrying about it. At the same time, I can’t help being utterly appalled by the number of voters who call themselves moral and proceed to take away the rights of women (abortion) and of minorities (gays). I just don’t get it, I guess. I don’t understand how someone can claim they’re moral and belong to a religion that pushes for tolerance, but then NOT be tolerant. I don’t understand how a religion can claim to be tolerant but only to certain people. I don’t understand why two people of similar gender wanting to be together is such an issue. It’s apparently fine to start a war that has nothing to do with Osama bin Laden and kill thousands of people, both Americans and Iraqis, but you know, gay marriage, that’s the threat. That’s gotta come to a stop because only then will we truly be safe.

I watched part of the Daily Show last night – it was from last Wednesday. There was a report about voters, and a message similar to the following:

Red States,

You were able to find the real issues in this election. These acts of terrorism, the ones that occurred far, far away from you, you were able to see that Bush would be the one to save us from more of those.

But in addition to the terrorism facing our country, you were able to pinpoint the other problem: “homo-ism”. Because two men making out is just plain wrong. See, we here in the blue states, well, we’ve experienced this kind of thing firsthand. But what we really needed was a group like yourself, far removed from these acts of violence and homosexuality, to really tell us what we needed.

What I’m trying to say, Red States, is thanks. Thanks…for saving us from ourselves.

Tongue in cheek, I suppose, but any kind of commentary as of late has to be.

Let’s talk about some other sites that have piqued my interest lately:

• This article from the New York Times Magazine is probably one of the best I’ve ever read. It really puts a lot of things into perspective but at the same time it’s pretty scary.
• Here are some maps. Here is some fraud.
• A small, miniscule ray of light: election stats, and more election stats.

Sorry, everybody. Also, FTS.

For the next week I picture myself in the mourning with the logical half of the nation, and I plan not to mention the unfortunate incident of the 2004 Presidential Election.

So instead I’ll fill this page with more meaningless if not entertaining stuff.

Part one : go here. Click on that nice lil’ T-MAC TV button by Mr. McGrady’s feet and bask in the glory that is the new adidas T-MAC 4 commercial. One of the coolest, if not the coolest, commercials this year.

The OC is back too. Yee-hah.