The other day I listened to Beck’s new album. I was obsessed with Beck circa age 15. I lost touch a little in the Midnight Vultures era, but later realized that I get a little happier than usual every time a Beck song comes on, whether its Hell Yes or Devil’s Haircut or even Lost Cause. I’ve flipped through record shops in England and Barcelona and Texas, hoping to find something of his I haven’t heard yet. But I’d basically accepted that I’d probably never hear another album from him.

But then an NPR link came into my life via Facebook. I listened to the album while home on lunch, letting the dogs out. It was a sunny day that closely followed days that weren’t, and I watched the dogs play and stretch out in the sun from the kitchen window. I leaned over the kitchen counter eating while I watched the song titles on my phone next to me. For a few minutes, the day belonged to me, with no deadlines, no ride that never stops. Its the feeling I remember from being a kid, the first time I’d listen to an album that would later change my life. Anymore, more most albums grow on me, and that’s fine, but its good to know for sure, at first sight, every once in awhile.

In honor of that, here’s a brief list of things that don’t suck, that I am decidedly opposed to being opposed to, right now.

Oh, and here’s that album stream…

1.  Beck – Morning Phase

2. The Ruby Fizz cocktail at The Woolworth in downtown Dallas. The Woolworth itself is pretty cool too. Actually I’m kind of into downtown right now too. It’s not like any other city’s downtown that I’ve been to – its kind of empty, sometimes desolate. Its a downtown, with all the towers and lights and billboards and offices and restaurants, but without the mill and seeth of people. And in the summer it bakes in the holy light of Texan sun. But yeah, fizz cocktails are my current drink fetish.

3. Blue winged eyeliner. I’m into this right now probably mostly because recently I actually got it to turn out right two attempts in a row. I’m using Lush liquid liner in “Motivation”.

4. The way tulip petals are soft.

5. The times when Vega is actually good and I think that she might grow up to be not entirely obnoxious after all. (Echo remains unconvinced.)

6. Zeno Clash. I find myself talking about this game all the time, and it still doesn’t suck. I went back to it recently, and it still doesn’t suck. So I finally made a public explanation of why I’m always on about it, and then awhile later decided to actually post it. The video might suck, but the game still doesn’t.