10 Top 10s: 2007

Top Ten Books:
1. White Noise by Don DeLillo
2. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
3. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
4. The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
5. Quiet Days in Clichy by Henry Miller
6. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
7. Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
8. Godel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter
9. My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist by Mark Leyner
10. The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking, Ph.D.

Top Ten Films:
1. Oldboy (2003)
2. Road to Perdition (2002)
3. Across The Universe (2007)
4. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
5. Battle Royale (2000)
6. Sullivan's Travels (1941)
7. Paths of Glory (1957)
8. Withnail & I (1987)
9. Holy Mountain (1973)
10. 300 (2007)

Top Ten Documentaries:
1. A Certain Kind of Death (2003)
2. Air Guitar Nation (2006)
3. Born Rich (2003)
4. Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)
5. Wordplay (2006)
6. Jesus Camp (2006)
7. Rize (2005)
8. Missing Victor Pellerin(?) (2006)
9. Ringers: Lord of the Fans (2005)
10. Devil's Playground (2002)

Top Ten Songs:
1. Icky Thump - The White Stripes
2. King of Carrot Flowers (Pt. 1) - Neutral Milk Hotel
3. Kick Push - Lupe Fiasco
4. Hang Me Up to Dry - Cold War Kids
5. Martha My Dear - The Beatles
6. Dashboard - Modest Mouse
7. Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups
8. Stronger - Kanye West f/Daft Punk
9. Can You Feel It? - The Apples In Stereo
10. Hard Sun - Eddie Vedder

Top Ten Albums:
1. In The Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
2. Eponymous (The White Album) - The Beatles
3. Icky Thump - The White Stripes
4. Gadzooks!!! The Homemade Bootleg Album - Mojo Nixon
5. Infinity On High - Fall Out Boy
6. Bone Machine - Tom Waits
7. God Ween Satan The Oneness - Ween
8. This American Life 2006 Live Tour - Ira Glass et al.
9. The Wall - Pink Floyd
10. Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys

Top Ten Episodes of House, M.D.
1. The Jerk - Season Three
2. Three Stories - Season One
3. Pilot - Season One
4. Son of a Coma Guy - Season Three
5. Maternity - Season One
6. House vs. God - Season Two
7. Detox - Season One
8. Deception - Season Two
9. Airborne - Season Three
10. No Reason - Season Two

Top Ten Moments
1. Sitting on my rooftop listening to iTunes on random while the sky erupted in the most amazing electrical storm in history.
2. Watching Ms. Dork Femme become an honest woman to one of the coolest Canadian cats ever spawned (Love you Karen & Phil).
3. "Didn't I see you on TV?" -- A witness offering redemption after Blue Man Group became the biggest train wreck.
4. A long-lost friend, a brand-new Beatles movie, and the evening of conversations that made my whole year.
5. The slobbering, snot-nosed emotional semi-breakdown while making my grilled cheese, leading to my first therapy session.
6. The incredible yet subtle chain of events which ended up with my brief stint in the fashion industry.
7. Dropping Saks Fifth Avenue and picking up the actor's life again, all in the same day.
8. 1:30 am at the Des Plaines Police Station, detained by a noisy muffler, when hours earlier I portrayed one of the boys in blue.
9. Mr. Coffee Shop Owner offering me his venue after a reading of just one monologue of an (as of yet) unfinished one-man-show.
10. "Then slip, SLAM, right onto the brick."

Top Ten Lessons Learned
1. Speak your dreams to everyone.
2. Opportunities abound everywhere.
3. Talent requires direction.
4. You are never alone.
5. I Deserve Better
6. Imagine three steps ahead.
7. This does not belong to you.
8. Celibacy can be unavoidable.
9. It's like spinning plates.
10. Think for yourself or think for no one.

Top Ten Random Things
1. Ringing ear flare-ups
2. The square root of 3 (1.732...)
3. Saturn Return
4. Saturday Morning NPR
5. Plow pose
6. Gravity bongs
7. "Jus' sooth a' Glasgow."
8. Crawfish Monica
9. Grey goo and Xeno's paradoxes
10. The dumpster behind Staples

Top Ten People I Didn't Mention Enough
1. Barkme Laughing Wolf & Bridgit Wolf -- Though I resembled furniture whenever I came over, I thank you for not treating me as such. And Barkme: Thanks for encouraging my wacky side. Whenever, wherever, however.
2. Nicole Zurek -- We didn't communicate all too often but your presence was felt every day. Thank you for being the beacon of direction through the ebb and flow of the year.
3. Kate Lesciotto -- For the evenings out to dinner in Evanston, I can't thank you enough. For the fallout of the past two weeks, I can't ask for more forgiveness.
4. Jennifer Veselsky -- When in the name of god's green earth are you coming home sell the house pack up the kids grab jeff caravan all night come home we miss you right now right now right now.
5. Chris Isaacs & Dana Hannon -- Thanks for putting up with a crude glue-eating Scottish lad & for letting him wreak a little havoc at the beer tent. Miss you guys. Viva NOLA.
6. Hermann -- My beloved screaming-red '93 Volvo 850 GLT. Sputters to a start but never fails to turn over, with a yawp like a low-flying Cessna. Hail to the Prince of Cars.
7. Cortney McKenna -- I suck at returning phone calls, but that didn't dismay you from trying. A dedicated & talented actress, I'm honored to say I shared a stage with you.
8. Christine Strejc -- The only one who can get me dressed in fairy wings and knickers for an audience. Thanks for always giving me a role when no one else would. And here's to our new project together.
9. Jen King -- Actually, I did mention you enough this year. More than most. You survived the epic that was 2007. Good for you, Jen. Good for you. Hold on tight, though, next year's gonna rock.
10. Chelsea Knight -- For telling your story, for sharing your plight, for doing all you can with what you have to stay legit. Don't know where you are. Really wish I did. Think you deserve the best.