Playlist of the Decade

Its that time again. Time for a champagne poppin, epic evening of fun and celebration. A new year is upon us and everyone loves to party in some fashion. Whether you go out Vegas style with the limo and the whole nine, or you have a kitchen dance party, one thing about New Years Eve is ALWAYS the same...there needs to be a Party Playlist.

This year is different than other years because we are beginning a new Decade. Hard to believe, but yes the 2000's are gone and done with. We witnessed the Britney meltdown, the Tiger whores, the comeback of SNL, the rise of the vampires, websites can now be used as sexual innuendo, but be careful is someone is Twittering your Google. We all witnessed the death of the King of Pop, the emergence of APPs on your phone, not in your mouth, and we met some new babies over the past ten years. This decade we met Suri, Shiloh, Apple, Kingston, Zuma Nesta Rock and a host of other D-List celebrity babies that don't deserve mentioning. One thing that has remained a constant is the collection of tunes throughout the decade that have got the party started. As you all prepare for your nights out or night in, I highly recommend making a decade playlist.

Its a fun way to remember what you were doing when...you heard "Yeah" by Usher and Lil Jon for the first time in the awkward club in Canada, or when you were in your dorm with your best girlfriend jamming to "Lets Get Married (Remix)" by Jagged Edge. Take a look back through the years and you will learn that yes, even though the "Thong Song" by Sisqo was recorded in 1999, it was released exclusively for the 2000 film Nutty Professor II so it is eligible for your Decade playlist.

For me and my playlist, I tried to keep it varied throughout the decade, not focusing too much on the recent years and trying to encompass all the various genres of music that kept our parties going throughout the decade that was. Take a gander at the Grundulation Decade of  hits and feel free to add your thoughts to whats on the board. Just make sure that iPod is set up and ready to go for whatever you are doing tonight!!! Happy 2010 everyone!


1. Yeah - Usher, Lil Jon (2004)
2. Empire State of Mind - JayZ, Alicia Keys (2009)
3. Umbrella - Rihanna, JayZ (2007)
4. SexyBack - JT (2006)
5. Poker Face - Lady Gaga (2008)
6. In Da Club - 50 Cent (2003)
7. Thong Song - Sisqo (2000)
8. Ignition (Remix) - R Kelly (2003)
9. The Way I Are - Timbaland (2007)
10. H to Izzo - Jay Z (2001)
11. The Next Episode - Dr. Dre, Snoop (2001)
12. Lose Yourself - Eminem (2002)
13. Toxic - Britney Spears (2004)
14. Feel Good Inc. - The Gorillaz (2006)
15. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley (2006)
16. Mr. Brightside - The Killers (2004)
17. The Way You Move - Outkast (2003)
18. Crazy In Love - JayZ, Beyonce (2003)
19. Lets Get Married (Remix) - Jagged Edge (2000)
20. Slow Motion - Juvenile (2004)
21. Low - FloRida Featuring T-Pain (2007)
22. Promiscuous Girl - Nelly Furtado/Timbaland (2006)
23. My Love - Justin Timberlake Featuring T.I (2006)
24. Just Dance - Lady Gaga (2008)
25. Hey Ya - Outkast (2003)

BONUS Track!!!

26. Bye, Bye, Bye - *NSync (January 11, 2000)

Holiday Hangover

Its the week between presents and party...typically we reflect back on the previous year, and prepare for the upcoming year. Rarely do we feel good about it. With so much going on during the months of November and December, its tough to get amped for the coming year when we are still trying to recover from the previous holidays.

Moving through this week has been rather painful. The calm before the storm of the New Year. How can you make this week a productive one? The biggest key to success is preparing for the New Year. I'm not saying set a bunch of unattainable resolutions like lose 80 pounds and make a million dollars this next year, but set some reasonable, attainable goals for yourself and for your family. Use this week to plan your 2010. At each age and stage of life, we, as men have different goals. Each year represents a unique opportunity to grow and better yourself and attain goals that are out there depending on your stage of life. Spend this slow week at work making those goals, create a specific and attainable plan to achieve those goals, and talk to those close to you about those goals and use the support group around you to encourage you.

Break the holiday hangover by setting some goals for the next year, and make a plan to achieve those goals. Oh yeah, and drink some nice champagne on New Years Eve.

Christmas Wrapping

Each Christmas Eve, men everywhere scramble for a solution to their Christmas wrapping duties. As men, we buy presents for the ones we love. Our wives, our sisters, our brothers, friends, parents, mother and father in-laws, co-workers, etc.

Many times, the gift is the not the most daunting part about the Christmas season. Sometimes, it is, in fact, the wrapping of the gifts. Thankfully, growing up, I was gifted with three younger sisters that I could force into gift wrapping submission, but today I must explore other options.

For men everywhere, the wrapping inevitably comes down to Christmas Eve. Enlist those women close to you to wrap your presents if at all possible. It is a proven fact that men are just inadequate at wrapping presents. Woman have a knack for it and are just plain better at it than men. Find a way to bribe a woman in your family to wrap your presents and award them with whatever is reasonable based on the volume of the wrapping job in front of them.

Good luck to you men, and maybe more importantly those women whom you enlist to assist you in your Christmas Eve wrapping adventure.

The Christmas Card

Every December families everywhere scramble to find the perfect Christmas card to send to all their friends and family...some even go the extra mile and write a letter recapping the year to update everyone as to how the family is doing and how great everything is. Websites all over have countless designs for you to pick from. As a married man, is this a process that you should just gloss over? I say no. This is your family, your brand in a sense and how you present yourself to all of your friends, family, and acquaintances is important. If you haven't done it yet with your wife, find a photographer and have some pictures taken. Schedule a 'family session' and get some good pictures out there of the two of you. Obviously if you have kids, this makes even more sense.

Luckily for us, my wife Whitney found the most incredible tag team duo from Brighten Photography. Ben and Whitney have transformed our photo books, our mantles and our Christmas Cards forever. Ben happens to be well versed in the art of photoshop and graphic design and he can create one mean Christmas Card for anyone you may want to send it to. As a husband, suggest this strategy. Stand out from the pack. Make a statement. Your wife will love you for it. Breaking free from the doldrums of the Christmas Card template monotony is no easy task, but once you do it, you will never go back.

In our maiden voyage, our Christmas Card came out wonderfully, with the help of some amazing friends. Fellas, step out of the box and take this task off of your wife's hands. Check out the Gronlund's first...

Gronology - The Study of Modern Man

Naturally the first question that comes to someone's mind when they see made up word that hasn't been proven to actually be a word. Here en lies the great wonder that is the internet. Words can be made up, brands can be created, simply by applying some of your own individualistic creativity.

That is the big idea here. This is the blog. This blog will take shape, develop and change over time, but its core message will be the same. Men need help. They need a place where they can find answers to life's tough questions, concerns and have fun at the same time.

My name is Matthew Gronlund. I am a married man of 27 years of age with a desire to help men in all aspects of life. By no means do I have it figured out, but with the help of others the 'modern man' can find answers. Through collaborative thinking, men everywhere will have the opportunity to develop their own -ology which is the name for fields of study. More specifically -ology is the study of something. Here, we are studying men...but not just any man - the Modern Man. I consider myself a part of this club.For this reason, I created the idea of Gronology - The study of Modern Man.

I am a man fulfilling the essential responsibilities of life. Living, loving, believing, and providing, while growing in knowledge of who I am and more importantly who I want to be. What is the legacy you want to leave as a modern man?? Think about that. Come along with me and explore the virtues, beliefs and lifestyle of the Modern Man. Welcome to the Gronology.