The Obsolete List

One of the best parts about the end of the year is all the "best of", "worst of", and "everything in between of" lists that are published. And since this is the end of a decade too (okay, maybe the decade technically goes until 2010), we get to have all those lists times ten!

One of my favorites so far, from Business Insider, a list of 21 items that have become obsolete in the past decade.

Some of them come quickly to mind (Dial-up Internet, VCRs, Fax Machines), while others are things you might not immediately think of (Pay Phones, Long Distance Charges).

In some cases the list is almost incredible to think about. For example, PDAs (with their look-at-me-I'm-so-important fake plastic pen thingys) were not really all that common at the beginning of the decade, yet have already faded well into obsolescence. (Yes, I constructed that sentence specifically so I could use that last word).

Want another example? How about paying for E-mail. Remember those disks that AOL would send you with 50 free hours of Internet if you signed up for their email? And, more amazingly, people did it. Thank you to the market for making it possible for email to be a free, ad-revenue driven service.

So have some fun and remember how much better off we are than we were ten years ago.

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Third Eye Blind Countdown: #6 and #5

All week, I'm counting down my Top 10 favorite lyrics from Third Eye Blind. Their new album, Ursa Major, is coming out on Monday.

Monday - Honorable Mentions
Tuesday - #10 (Palm Reader), #9 (My Hit and Run)
Wednesday - #8 (Deep Inside of You), #7 (Narcolepsy)

Today, we crack into the top five. So without further ado:

#6: Can't Get Away

"Our jeep gets busted on a blown out road,
and I'm a tourist with a real light load,
and will the government hold another month away,
these messed up places where we always stay,
wonderin' how we always pick these spots,
feeling like a have in the land of the have-nots,
sleeping on cots,
wishing that I had some Tater Tots.

And there's postcards written I know I'll never send,
the moment is gone and won't come again.
I ride with souls who find no peace,
still I look to you to find release."


The reference to Tater-Tots makes this a Top 10 lyric on its own, but the rest of the lines are pretty good too, and the delivery is really cool too. Also, I love the "postcards written I know I'll never send" line, because I have done that exact same thing. Then I'll come across them later and realize it makes no sense to send them because, well, the moment is gone and won't come again.


#5: I Want You

"An open invitation to the dance,
happenstance set the vibe that we're in,
no apology because my urge is genuine,
and the mystery of your rhythm is so feminine.
Here I am and I want to take a hit of your scene 'cause you bit so deep into my soul.
I want you."


Just classic Stephen Jenkins here. The use of "happenstance" is awesome, and the words just convey such a sexy scene. He's not messing around, and he's not going to apologize, he just wants you.

The countdown is moving towards its conclusion. There is still at least one song from each of the three albums to come. And, of course, only 4 days until Ursa Major.

Third Eye Blind Countdown

Third Eye Blind's new album will be released exactly one week from today. After waiting six years since their last full-length release, I wanted to do something to appropriately honor them and to build some more anticipation for "Ursa Major".

So, all this week, I will be counting down my Top 10 favorite lyrics from 3EB's proud history. It was not an easy task to narrow down the list to only 10, however, so today I will offer some of the great lyrics that just missed the cut.

As a note: this list is not counting down my favorite songs, but rather my favorite lines from those songs. I thought this might be more interesting than just listing the best 10 songs the band has done. As a result, however, some fantastic songs, such as "God of Wine" or "Losing A Whole Year" did not make the Top 10, because while they might be great songs, there really isn't any outstanding single line or lines. But not every list can be perfect.

Honorable Mentions -

God of Wine:

"Every glamorous sunrise
throws the planets out of line.
The stars shine out of whack,
a fraudulent zodiac.
And the god of wine is crouched down in my room.
You let me down, I said it.
Now I'm going down,
and you're not even around."


Losing A Whole Year:

"Rich daddy left you with a parachute,
your voice sounds like money and your face is cute,
but your daddy left you with no love,
and you touch everything with a velvet glove.
Now you want to try the life of sin,
you want to be down with the down and in.
Always copping my truths,
I kinda get the feeling like I'm being used,
And now I realize that you never heard one goddamned word I ever said."


Good For You:

"I feel you cross my mind in disarray,
an intoxicated ricochet"


Another Life:

"Time goes by and I realize that I'm alright,
You thought nothing would be the same,
but life comes 'round again.
Quick wits and all curious,
caught up with what you say,
and makes me grab the time,
before it slips away"

Coming tomorrow: The countdown begins with numbers 9 and 10.