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Campfire

And, as a final something for 2007: Wu-Tang Clan's "Campfire" (listen), track one from 8 Diagrams.

A very sobering and (dare-I-say) mature kung-fu sample; an incredibly spooky sample of the Persuasions' cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman"; and an absolutely killer verse from Method Man to get it started.

Not a bad start to an album that's growing on me very quickly.

Favorites of 2007

Favorite books:

Special Topics in Calamity Physics

Some of these were published in 2006, but when reading I'm always behind by at least a year, I figure--so I think it's safe to say that these were my favorite books that I read in 2007 (hey, they all start with "M"!):

• Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policeman's Union
• Mark Helprin, Freddy and Fredericka
• Marisha Pessl, Special Topics in Calamity Physics
• Michael Ruhlman, Reach of a Chef

Favorite songs:

The following twelve songs are my personal favorites for 2007: they're the songs I most enjoyed and that, out of sheer narcissism, I suppose I'd classify as "best", whatever that means. More than anything else, they're the songs I'd like to listen to most, right now.

Some notes:

• R. Kelly makes an appearance on three out of twelve tracks: it was the year of R. Kelly, after all!
• There's no Ghostface or Wu-Tang, because I just bought Big Doe Rehab and 8 Diagrams last week and haven't had nearly enough time to digest them. This makes me sort of sad, but I guess gives me license to include them next year.

Siobhan Donaghy - Ghosts

In alphabetical (essentially unordered) order:

• Celebration, "Evergreen" (listen)
• Ciara, "Promise (Remix) feat. R. Kelly" (listen)
• The Fiery Furnaces, "Restorative Beer" (listen)
• M.I.A., "Paper Planes" (listen)
• Of Montreal, "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider" (listen)
• R. Kelly, "I'm a Flirt feat. T.I. & T. Pain" (listen)
• Richard Hawley, "Lady Solitude" (listen)
• Rihanna, "Umbrella feat. Jay-Z" (listen)
• Robin Thicke, "Got 2 Be Down feat. Faith Evans" (listen)
• Siobhan Donaghy, "Goldfish" (listen)
• Spoon, "Black Like Me" (listen)
• Swizz Beatz, "It's Me Bitches (Remix) feat. Lil Wayne, R. Kelly, and Jadakiss" (listen)

Something really sad

I love this quote (among others) from a 1996 interview with David Foster Wallace:

And I know that when I started this book I wanted--I had very vague and not very ambitious...ambitions, and one was I wanted to do something really sad. I'd done comedy before, I wanted to do just something really sad and I wanted to do something about what was sad about America.

Which "this book", i.e. Infinite Jest, definitely is, i.e. sad, and which reminds me--again--that I really want to re-read it. One of these days, I guess.

(via Jason and Daring Fireball)

QotD: Cold Weather Beverage

What's your favorite thing to drink when it's cold outside?

Brooklyn Skyline

Over the last couple of weeks, I've really been enjoying an occasional Red Hook cocktail, which I first read about on the Cocktail Chronicles, and then again on gumbopages.com (which is also where I found the sazerac recipe I'm most fond of).

It's rye-based, so a perfect warming drink for a chilly fall evening. Yum!

The Red Hook Cocktail
(by Enzo Errico, Milk & Honey, New York City)

2 ounces rye whiskey
1/2 ounce Punt e Mes
1/2 ounce maraschino

Combine with ice in a mixing glass and stir for at least 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

QotD: Singing A Holiday Tune

Another Lonely Christmas

Audio: What's your favorite carol or holiday song?

Without a doubt: Price's "Another Lonely Christmas".

I must admit that I'm still a little thrown by the pokeno & banana daiquiris, but that said, this is my #1 when it comes to Christmas songs.