10 things that 2004 brought into my life, in random order

Rhythm & Motion Dance Center: Their dance workout program is both fun and exhausting, and they don't laugh at you when you trip over yourself. The friends you meet in class and the center's occasional recitals are an added bonus.

"The Dog Whisperer": The downside of me getting digital cable is that I've been reading less, but the upside is my discovery of "The Dog Whisperer," a.k.a the best show on television. Cesar Millan is a dog psychologist (not a crackpot pet psychic), a genius and a hero. Watch in amazement as he rehabilitates rabid rottweilers, snapping schnauzers and unruly bulldogs with his gentle authority. The secret of Cesar's method is that he's really training the dog's owners. I predict a jump to network TV and an "Oprah" appearance in 2005.

The Constantines: I know these Canucks have been around for a while, but they just landed on my radar this year. Their album Shine a Light instantly earned a spot in my list of all time favorites. Hopefully I'll get to see them live in 2005.

Blogging: Anyone can sign up on blogger.com for a free membership, and once you brush up on some very simple HTML code, you can post away about your life, likes, dislikes, rants and raves. No longer will you have to write your manifesto on a Big Chief tablet, Ignatius Reilly style; you can post it on the Innerweb for all (or none) to see.

Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley: After seven years in the making, the final cut of this gorgeous documentary about Jeff Buckley made its debut in August. The film screened at the Woodstock, Leeds and CMJ Film Festivals in 2004, earning filmmakers Nyla Adams and Laurie Trombley CMJ's Signature Award. Stay tuned for the Bay area premiere at Cinequest in March 2005.

"Anything Can Happen" by The Finn Brothers: This track off their 2004 release Everyone Is Here is the most hopeful and uplifting song I've heard in years, lyrically and musically. "I will take my chances, cause anything can happen. I don't believe it's over." Neil Finn is still on a roll after 25+ years of songwriting genius.

Live music is memorable every year, but 2004's highlights include: most of the shows I saw at Great American (Joanna Newsom, X, Cursive, Von Iva), Britt Daniel at Hotel Utah, the Siren Festival at Coney Island (VIP style, thanks John R. Dequindre!), PJ Harvey at the Henry Fonda Theater in LA, Heart at the Mountain Winery, and the Kerry Benefit at The Living Room with Joseph Arthur (listen), David Poe, Duncan Sheik and many old NY friends.

Veggie breakfast sausages and tofu dogs: I always thought the concept of fake meat for vegetarians was counterintuitive, but I'm a fan now.

SCRAP: DIY heaven. According to their website, the Scroungers' Center for Reusable Art Parts, "is a creative reuse center, store and workshop space founded in 1976 in San Francisco, California. Donations of re-usable materials such as textiles, paper, jewelry findings, wood, buttons and plastics are collected from businesses, institutions and individuals and distributed to art and educational groups." More than just a thrift store, this is a spot where the crafty mind can go wild by breathing new life into someone else's discard.

Real Rhapsody: Lacking adequate funds to buy all the CDs I wanted this year, I had to get creative. Real Rhapsody was my answer; for $10 a month, I can stream any of the 800,000 songs in their collection, including a great selection of independent artists and new releases. I've been talking Rhapsody up to anyone who'll listen -- hey Real people, can I get a comp subscription for Christmas?