Currently Reading The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini see related

Another year... One that definitely sticks out. For me, it's basically a year in two parts - Pre-CRA and after. Meeting new people and being able to finally express without regard to prior perceptions of who I was. Embracing and being embraced for what I believe now and being given the respect and esteem of colleagues around me (and by that, I don't *just* mean my kids!). It does wonders to one's confidence! Its never been more apparant than the last week or two, going back to an older life while on vacation from CRA.

A year ago I posted this same tune by, then, an unknown, although definitely known in the indie world, band, Death Cab For Cutie. Here it is, again. Click to download:

The New Year

So this is the new year.
And i don't feel any different.
The clanking of crystal
Explosions off in the distance (in the distance).

So this is the new year
And I have no resolutions
For selfl assigned penance
For problems with easy solutions

So everybody put your best suit or dress on
Let's make believe that we are wealthy for just this once
Lighting firecrackers off on the front lawn
As thirty dialogues bleed into one

I wish the world was flat like the old days
Then i could travel just by folding a map
No more airplanes, or speedtrains, or freeways
There'd be no distance that can hold us back.

There'd be no distance that could hold us back

So this is the new year

Was looking back at last year's year-end-blog and decided to post up my favorite shows of this year as well, with a few highlights:

U2 - April 9, 2005 - HP Pavilion, San Jose. U2, Vertigo Tour, that's about enough said.
Better Than Ezra - May 6, 2005 - Club ZOE, San Jose. Fun at a concert in a club within the confines of San Jose? It happened.
Glen Phillips - June 25, 2005 - Great American Music Hall, San Francisco. Sit-down venue, Glen solo, lots of stories, perfect acoustics.
Nickel Creek - July 28?, 2005 - Little Fox Theater, Redwood City. Probably last time ever seeing them in a 300 or less venue. Memorable for too many reasons, most of all that I got in to this private concert without a ticket and doing what a true fan would do... Show up anyways!
Coldplay - August 19, 2005 - Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View. Had seen the band a few times before, never overwhelmed, but this time they broke through.
Arcade Fire - October ?, 2005 - Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View. Part of the download festival, these are my now second favorite live band behind Nickel Creek. Damn Canadians, their infectious music has sucked me in!
Nickel Creek - December 10, 2005 - Warfield Theater, San Francisco. Yep, them again. Brought some Creekster virgins who ate the show up. Oops, not the best of phrases to have written. Great show though. Never forget cover of Britney's Toxic.