Irrumigrievances

[jameystegmaier]

The Top 10 Festivus Grievances of 2007

Without further adieu, here are the top grievances of 2007, as presented at my Festivus party. They were selected by me and ranked by a person who wishes to remain nameless (this person thinks that people will be able to guess who he/she is by his/her comments, which are in brackets. Also, that person added

Comments

Speak, Speak, Speak

[chistl]

Do you like rap and hip-hop, Jamey? Last time I checked they speak and don't sing the lyrics. I think some bands that try to be angsty and indifferent sounding tend to overuse the speak along, but if done right I think it works just fine, as spoken voice can provide an interesting contrast with the instrumental music behind it. (And perhaps the preceding is just my way defending mike like of "All I Wanna Do" -- I mean, who doesn't like a good beer buzz early in the morning?)

I've had the phantom voicemail indicator, too, and it does bug me, especially, like you note, that it seems to occur and then disappear for reasons that are not of this world.

[aquavator]

That's a decent list, but not quite on par with some past grievances. I mean, making fun of Dane Cook has gotten old and when was the last time you actually saw a popped collar to grieve about? (There was a temp at my job this fall who would occasionally pop the collar of his lab coat without realizing it.) Also, how does a dog lick his balls after they have been removed? Are they being re-used as dog toys?

I'll bet if you had a really accurate scale and then ate a pound of food, you'd see the change.

I'm not sure there is anything I can say that will change your mind about the Hold Steady. I think they are a great band, but I know others that don't like Craig Finn's delivery. If you can manage to look past that (and seriously, it's not like he's reading a textbook in a monotone), you'll notice that he's a great storyteller/lyricist and his style fits the band perfectly. Plus, he repeatedly mentions the street I live on.

Poor Grievance List

[aquavator]

Pat,

I'll take the lion's share of the credit for the lack of decent grievances. I've prided myself on realistic, comical, and poignant grievances in the past, and I'll be the first to admit that I had nothing special to grieve about this year.

@