2020, Best of... (Music)

An annual tradition, shared various ways, not all were released in 2020, but its stuff I discovered in the past year that kept rattling around my ears and playlists.  The YouTube playlist has some great finds of the video versions, including some live ones as a preference over the official or missing ones.  There's a pretty broad variety in this year's list again - I hope  there’s something for everyone.  Enjoy. For those of you on Apple Music, the playlist is there too.

The order goes like this - starts with some straight-up Canadian rock and transitions with the biggest Canadian music headliner followed by the kid down the street to bring in some electronic sounds, with dashes into pop, hooks, riffs, melodies, stand-up-and-listen voices and closing out musical commentary on the big stories of of the year: BLM, the environment, the US presidency and the pandemic.

1. Years in the making - Arkells - great distanced vid and solid catch hooks
2. Get Precious - Yukon Blonde - hooks with blues and funk feel
3. I like the Way You Talk About the Future - Sam Roberts Band - beats and Montrealer mood
4. Blinding Lights - The Weeknd - you may be sick of it, but solid 80’s redux was fun for me
5. I’ll Come Back to You - Powfu, Sarcastic Sounds & Rxseboy - neighbourhood beat producer meets the big time 
6. Time (You and I) - Khruangbin - I listened to their Thai Funk groove a lot this year
7. Got to Keep On - The Chemical Brothers - Soul train vid turns weird but beats keep going
8. Don’t Call Me Up - Mabel - first track that dropped onto the radar in 2020 triggered by a “what’s this?” performance on a 2019 award show
9. A Love Like That - Katie Melua - new soothing sounds from an old favourite
10. Little Something - Melody Gardot & Sting - exotic duet from two of my favourite voices
11. On Sunset - Paul Weller - a very late entry but immediate big smash in my books
12. Caution - The Killers - pop/rock at its finest with Flowers’ fantastic delivery
13. I Do - John Legend - got to get movin’ and swoon to these silky R&B lines
14. The 1 - Taylor Swift - her many, many beautiful melodies took up a lot of this year’s playlist rotation 
15. July - Noah Cyrus and Leon Bridges - sweet, sweet sounds with cross-over potential
16. I Can’t Breathe - H.E.R - powerful stuff from a magical musician
17. Oh, What a World 2.0 (Earth Day Edition) - Kacey Musgraves - remix from the voice of an angel
18. Living In a Ghost Town - The Rolling Stones - guitar licks and tight message, give me more lads
19. Lookin’ for a Leader - 2020 - Neil Young - politics too - singing what many were thinking
20. (E) Zen - X Ambassadors, K. Flay & Grandson - Big expletives sum up a downer of a year

Apple Music: PJMixer 2020, Best of...

YouTube Playlist: 2020, Best of...

Movie Reviews - December 2020

Da 5 Bloods

Bloody...

Quite a ride of emotion and action.  I enjoyed this new Spike Lee movie and it didn’t disappoint with its expected social, racial and political statements.  It had the creative mix of past/present, violence, drama and touches of comedy.  The MAGA hat threw me but I suspect irony.   Rich locations, strong acting and a well paced plot, but there was still something a little off.  Maybe the switches created some inconsistency and I was a little uncertain with the writing at times.  It almost felt I was missing some clever subtext.   Now I’ve written my thoughts I’ll take a look at the reviews and see what I may have missed.  7/10.   

The Gentlemen

That’s entertainment.   Last song.  Fitting.  Dialogue was tops.  Job for the precinct like.  Top drawer acting - biting language - unusually gentle touch with menacing violence.  Lots of horrible people to like.  Even the costume design was glorious.  Story moves were orchestrated beautifully but who cares - pure Brit gangster stylin’ hits all the buttons.  A little too loose with the plot doesn’t put it on the top shelf but a highly entertaining 7/10.   

Ocean’s 8

I was not paying full attention as I chose it as a fun kitchen backgrounder.  So I may need to fill in the gaps with a repeat viewing, but I liked it.  Great cast, Oceans intrigue, provocative plot, sexy situations and all around innocent naughty fun.   7/10.  

Greyhound

A simple (“inspired by actual events”) WWII naval battle superbly led by Hanks and a great sense of pace, war history and personal drama.  A high degree of realism brought to life by some fabulous CGI and real warships.  Hanks’ screenplay didn’t shy away from keeping the dialog accurate (as far as I could tell) and kept it to the hard driving sea battle.  No fuss, some mess and an important retelling of wartime sacrifice, allied cooperation and high stakes military operations.  8/10

Becoming

Actually a little lost for words.  It was what you would expect and very well done.  I liked seeing behind the scenes of her life as First Lady and she truly does seem very down to earth and approachable.  Barack made a few appearances, but took a back seat to her show.  You can’t help wonder what the movie of the Trumps will be like in 5 years.  7/10

The Ritual

A friend recommended it and I thought it sounded familiar.  Watched the trailer.  Yep, seen it.   I can’t find a review but giving it a 6/10 seems right.

Darkest Hour

I’m not blind to the dark past of the British Empire and I’m very well aware that Churchill was far from a perfect man.  But I felt very proud to be a fellow Englishman and witness an incredibly important part of our history.  Of course there were liberties taken in the screenplay but it just made for a little more colourful storytelling (especially that wonderful scene on the underground).   I did miss a few lines his the characterization of Churchill’s mumbles but thought Oldman was superb (Gary - you come a long way from Sid and Nancy).  Well done indeed chaps.  I could not help but think of a certain US president while watching Churchill’s portrayal.   A tag line of the film perhaps sums up a potential comparison - It takes the power of leadership to unite a nation.  I’d add that a united nation is critical in dark times facing a common threat.  In today’s world - are we clearly agreed on the real threats to our country, to our city, to our world?  And Lily James was adorable as usual.  8/10

Uncorked

We used the wine theme to enjoy a few glasses of wine while watching the movie, maybe a few too many glasses.  I liked the first half of the movie and thought the sommelier bits were accurate to what I’d before in the documentary Somm. But I think it lost momentum and I lost the plot a little with the middle and the ending was disappointing.  6/10

Crazy Rich Asians

Loved it.   Lots of great movie elements that come together beautifully - stunning scenery, cityscapes, interiors, costume design, even the music was fabulous.  A lot of character complexity enriched a unsurprising plot line.  Lots of humour, romance and fun with serious international societal commentary.  7/10

Color Out of Space

Wow, quite the ride.  Combination of The Thing, Poltergeist and The Shining.

Didn’t know what cosmic horror was before.  Fantastic fright.  Perfect crazy creepy cocktail.  And believe it or not, some humour. Really well done, sure a few odd plot bits, but I haven’t enjoyed a scare like that since cabin in the woods.  Cage was perfectly cast, horrific scenes created by top notch fx- beauty cosmic goodies at times, perfect setting and sets. 8/10

The Truth

I liked it - in a French kind of way.  Not easy to understand - like my wife.  Complex characters wrapped around a multi-layered family dynamic.  Splashes of tension throughout had a bit of a chilling effect and took away from the warmth of the setting.  Enjoyable, but it wasn’t truly satisfying.  6/10

Hampstead

Far from perfect, but highly watchable.  6/10

The Old Guard (spoiler)

Really really top drawer stuff.  Superb action as you’d expect but a simple story with massive dose of oh shit, that’s really bad.  Spoiler:  Fab ending.  8/10.  

Their Finest

A little unbalanced and tried to be too clever at times, but I warmed up to it and the colourful characters.  Off tilt humour at times, nostalgic score and songs, superb set and costume design and hearty script made for an entertaining time.  7/10.  

The Social Dilemma 

A little meta...Netflix movie 

How to have a conversation without one of the big platforms?

Delete news apps - really?

Who to trust?

Sharing something personal - yes.

Sharing something 2nd hand - no = Instagram?

YouTube victim

Is a valid defense a strong offense?  Create and share more of you own content. 7/10

Enola Holmes

Very entertaining made so by the marvellous Billy Bobby Brown.  A few very violent fights scenes and more than enough horrible English people.   But Brown made the magic happen, especially with her asides.   Funny and fun.  8/10.  

The Trial of the Chicago 7

So many interesting and important parts to this well-made historical drama.  What would we do without movies like this?  Do we expect everyone to read their history books - are stories like this taught in regular US history courses.  And what if you happened to be a descendant of judge Hoffman?  Superb cast, troubling dangers, but the value of a democracy remains intact.  For now and hopefully for a long future for the free world.  Frightening demonstration of political power, a warning around the perils of true justice and the power to make things right.  8/10

The Big Lebowski

Believe it or not but it’s taken me this long to it.  I had started it a couple of times over the years but it never gripped me.  I caught a scene from later in the move earlier this week and liked the quirk and the dude.  So I hit record and watched it from the start, but weirdly still took two nights.  Anyhoo, I can now see why so many like it and more than anything the motto The Stranger leaves us with at the end.  Many solid performances and a fun ride of a plot that the Coen brothers are famous for.  I think it will be one of the movies that when you’re channel surfing and you come across it again, you can’t help but pause and chill out for a while. 7/10

On the Rocks

There was lots to like, enough to rewatch bits with my wife the next night - the Monet, Manzanillo, the music of Phoenix and a quintessential extravagant Murray performance.  Reminded me to watch A Very Murray Christmas.  7/10

The Outpost

Head spinning chaos of battle in hellish conditions in a war of confusion.  Through the realism of the fire fights and the commitment to duty the sense of comradarie rose to the top via gritty and action soaked dramatic acting.  Hard to imagine it’s reality as the settings and circumstances are chasms beyond my world.  7/10. 

Hope Springs

Star cast got things going but it meandered without any real substance.  Some humour and heartfelt marital challenges, but there could have been a lot more.  6/10.

Why Do We Take Pictures

That sounds quite presumptuous, rather grandiose and perhaps provocative.  Well, that 's intentional.  

I’d like to try and explain (or begin to explain) an idea my wife and I have been talking about for quite some time now.  Yes, I could have called this post Why do I take pictures - but I do feel that there’s some commonality between many of us, if not all of us.

It is a grand topic and idea that I will not be able to complete here this morning, but a start it is.  

In addition to the main question, I might as well add - why do I have to share this very idea ?  Am trying to provoke an argument, well not really, do I really know why you take a picture, maybe not, is this just click bait, maybe.

As many of you know I take a lot of pictures and more recently, shoot a lot of video.  I love learning technology, researching new equipment, watching videos on the finer details of photo editing and sharing the finished product with friends, family and everyone.  I enjoy looking at my photos quite often and that may be enough of a reason to take pictures, but choosing what to share with others, how frequently and how much and how it’s communicated are questions that occupy my thoughts on a regular basis.  

But I’ve got a little ahead of the idea.  Or is it a catch 22.

Never in the history of the world, have so many pictures been taken by so many people.

That’s a fact.

A massive number of people hold a smartphone today this is is capable of taking good photographs, high quality video and a lot of it.  It’s rather naughty that Apple makes Live Photos and HDR default settings and it doesn’t take much to accidentally take a burst of 10 shots.  That is a big part of the problem I’m beginning to address in a roundabout way.  I don’t think the title of this post would make sense to someone 50 years ago, taking photographs with an old-fashioned film camera was done by regular people as a way to document their lives, showing a child growing up, commemorating important landmarks or recording a beautiful vacation experience.  Yes, professional photographers have always taken pictures for editorial reasons, art and advertising.  Some keen hobbyists and what are today called “enthusiasts” take pictures in hopes of creating art, or being an informal news source or making a few dollars on the side with product photography.  But what about the vast majority of empowered people snapping 100 photos a week. 

I’m talking about the 10 photos of your pet, another 6 of the sunset, 4 close-ups of your tastiest meal and 20 test selfie shots after your new haircut (or for that matter with your big bushy beard).  And that’s just one day!  The photos of our gatherings with family and friends have sadly declined drastically in these pandemic times and I hope that it won’t be very long until we enjoy those days again - and that will indeed be a great reason to take lots of pictures!  But today, even while we’re stuck at home and within a 5 mile radius of our homes, we’re still taking huge amounts of pictures that take time to organize and require huge amounts of computer storage to keep.  All of your friends and most of your family probably don’t want to see all those 100 photos and I’m sure you get a little tired continuously scrolling through them all to find that special shot.  I actually feel the problem may have gotten so bad that some people just don’t take any pictures at all.  I’d go as far as saying some people take less digital pictures today than they did when they had to take a roll into the drug store for processing.

We take pictures to make a memory of something.  We also take pictures for the very purpose of sharing that memory with someone else, someone that isn’t with us.

In the old days you may recall a few occasions where you sent a printed photograph to your best friend or you received a few photos in the mail from a distant relative or penpal.  But for the most part, photographs were shared in the home - pictures of loved ones still hang on many living room walls and I’m sure many people have at least one photo album or a shoebox of old photographs that they get out when a friend visits.  That’s very different to today’s world, where you can easily share 20 photos of a walk in a park on Facebook.  I do feel some of the social media sites are getting a little better at managing the flow of photo content with features like “stories”.   However many (older) people don’t know how to use these new features and don’t get me started about people that email a dozen jpeg files to 10 people.

In my work life, one thing I help customers with is the challenge of managing massive amounts of data and part of my messaging is you can’t manage data and reap its rewards without first understanding it.  I think I can use this in relation to the topic of managing personal photos.   To better manage the huge amount of photos we take, we need to understand what value they have for ourselves and for others. 

What if we thought of this in reverse?  In order to understand why we take pictures, think of the end result - what will you do with the picture.  Will the picture be valuable to tell a short timely story or be part of your life story, does it show the world in a unique way, does it capture something important for your family or is it a way to convey love or tell someone you’re thinking of them.   Even it’s just for you, that’s perfectly fine, take the picture, keep it and enjoy looking at it.  But if you feel it’s worth sharing, maybe explain its meaning more clearly and attach a story to a singular photo of the event.  I’ve begun to understand that a picture doesn’t have to be perfect to capture a memory, like this one I took I Sunday.  But if we clutter our social feeds and our disk drives with hundreds and thousands of pictures that are so similar that the story or beauty is lost, that’s a shame.

I’d like to share this picture.

Technically, it’s quite good, correctly exposed, nice contrast and the primary subject (my happy wife) is in perfect focus and the background has some nice bokeh.  It includes a reflection that I always like to incorporate in complex compositions and it captures what I like to do - take pictures and take pictures of my wife.  There are some more subtle parts of the picture that speak more to my personality like I’m wearing a new Adidas top I really like and I’m shooting with my new camera and a brand-new lens.  My wife is wearing her Bose noise cancelling headphones that she loves and wears much more often than she thought she would.  She’s smiling and happy because she’s on an online session with a friend or learning something that she’s passionate about.  She’s in our study - a part of our old house that she’s getting more use out of and enjoying standing at her Varidesk.  There’s a lot I see when I look at this picture and it tells a number of stories and it’s why I take pictures and why I’m sharing it with you.

Sharing explanations of the US electoral college voting system

Although I’m a Canadian, I have a strong interest in the presidential race happening south of the border.  I suspect many other Canadians or other people around the world share this interest. It seems for me that every 2 years (votes for congress) and every four years I have decode the basics of the US government structure and it’s voting and electoral systems.

I started with Wednesday’s episode of the New York Times Daily podcast - The Shadow of the 2000 Election.  This episode explains the issues in Florida in 2000 with iffy voting systems, legal battles and the media’s impact and why GW Bush became president.  I’m afraid it paints a pretty dark picture of what could very likely happen next week.

I then listened to another Daily podcast from last week - A Peculiar Way to Pick a President.  This one explains the origins of the electoral college system and potential ways to make the US presidential election more fair with the National Popular Vote Compact (NPVC).

And finally, I got most of my questions answers by a well-written and illustrated article in the Guardian - Electoral college explained: how Biden faces an uphill battle in the US election.

Memories of the Queen Mother Cafe

I don’t recall the first time I ever walked through the doors of this unique Queen Street West Cafe and I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve returned, but the Queen Mother Cafe (208 Queen Street West) is one of my favourite local Toronto landmarks.  So many memories of enjoying a cozy lunch, raving about their Pad Thai, asking if they had that special pie, rendezvousing with friends and remarking on the interesting selection of wall art.  It’s the kind of place where we Torontonians like to talk about how great our city is.  It’s often times a stop when shopping on Queen Street and it used to be a regular lunch spot for my wife and I when I was working downtown.  

My wife just read a great article in the Toronto Star about their history and surviving through this year’s pandemic times.  A wonderful coincidence we found out through the article is that the restaurant opened 42 years ago today, which was the day after I arrived in Canada from England. 

I’ve always loved the way the cafe is situated on the street with the large welcoming windows.  I actually used it as my cover photo for my photography book Urban Colour and Contrast: Toronto.

The last time I was there was with my Australian cousin and her husband on a bitterly cold January lunchtime in 2019.  I think I’ve taken a few visitors and family members there over the years and as it turned out, my cousin said I’d taken her there during one of her previous visits years before.  No worries, we all enjoyed our lunch - again.

I recall that the cafe was always busy and we often worried we wouldn’t find a table.  I’m not certain of the magic, but we always did get a table and was always served by its friendly staff.

Hoping to visit again when we get past these pandemic times.

What’s the Point?

Why am I writing these blogs, making these videos and tweeting these tweets?

Because I think somewhere there’s someone who needs a new idea, appreciates the beauty of the everyday or learn how to tell their own story.

This is my story.  I’m choosing to tell it through photography and video and mixing the old tunes with the new for the soundtrack. 

My last vlog was a simple three mins of me talking about the beauty of one of the city’s urban ravines.  As I said in the video, I wasn’t pretending to deliver anything grand or philosophical, I was just happy, exploring the city, capturing that beauty with some wonderful cool technology and being honest, being myself.  There’s a hint in the video that I’d like to talk more about what I’m learning about videography, of which, there’s already a modest tech starter project in the works.  Although how-to is a massive market and I’m an avid follower of some real creators, I’d like to produce something more natural, more personal.  This is a record of my life and perhaps it can put a smile on someone’s face (MB’s comment) or inspire others to make something creative and share it as well - and then we can talk about, over a beer one day (reminder to talk to JWH).

Back-to-back visits to Elora

On the way back to Toronto after dropping my daughter off in Waterloo, I decided to take a detour to visit Elora Gorge and take some photos and video with my new camera.   

 

From by university years at UW, I recall a visit to a swimming spot where we could jump from the cliffs - it turns out my memory was of the quarry not the gorge.  But I still really enjoyed the short hike along the Grand River in the Elora Gorge Conservation Area and a quick visit of the lovely nearby small town.

I liked it so much, I saved the climb down to Irvine Creek for a return visit with my wife.  So just a week later, I returned to Elora with my wife for a casual and very tasty lunch at The Evelyn.  We then had a stroll around the small town and we did some shopping in a very quaint one-of-kind shop.  We then had a look at the dam and climbed down the stairs and rocks to Irvine Creek.  Before we headed home, we stopped to see the sunflower field at The Fieldstone Barn.

I thoroughly enjoyed my short visits to this beautiful and interesting little Ontario town.  

Links to videos in case you’re reading this on the mobile Blogger version:

Take a Detour Home (Elora Part I)

Lunch, Sunflowers & a Gorge (Elora Part II)

Full photo album on Flickr.

Rio de Janeiro, 1995 Storytime

The most significant memory of my business trip to Rio in 1995 was the people.  I recall sitting in a restaurant with a view of Iponema beach with my work colleague Peter.  It was a very relaxed evening and we were enjoying a few Brahmas and there was a little girl trying to sell some street jewelry.  The autumn evening was winding down and I remember watching a young man and lady chatting to one another on the beach.  They may have just finished playing beach volleyball, but it was now just the two of them.  The light was fading but they were in no rush to leave the beach.  There was no party going on, they weren’t drinking, nor trying to impress each other.  They were simply enjoying each other’s company and having a conversation.  Even if there were distractions, I don’t think it would have changed the in-the-moment simplicity of human connection.  This beautiful human moment was one of the reasons I named my son Rio. It was something I saw a few times in Rio, a natural, relaxed way of life, little interest in glitz or glamour.  Many of the locals didn’t have a lot, but they enjoyed what they did have, friends, food and drink and a beautiful place in the world. 

The second memory of Rio that stays with me is the language.  I stayed at a superb hotel right on Copacabana Beach.  It had the old world tradition of holding your room key for you when you left the hotel - perhaps for safety reasons as Rio is quite a dangerous place (I remember being driven to my hotel after working at the office - after dark my host doesn't stop at red lights).  So every time I returned to the hotel after a day at the host’s office or siteseeing, I would have to ask for my room key.  My room number was 2906 and I took pleasure in trying to pronounce it properly in Portuguese - Vinte e nove zero seis.  But my language skills failed me when I was trying to buy a dress for my wife at a shopping mall closer to the city centre.  To get there I had to walk through a long tunnel from Copacabana.  I had left my watch and passport in my hotel room and was on high alert for the dangerous walk.  It was perhaps a little foolish, but I lived to tell this story. 

One of the other memorable parts of my time in Rio was enjoying the fantastic skewed meat at a Brazilian BBQ (churrascaria) restaurant.  Like many of these restaurants now found around the world, the food is usually all-you-can-eat and I made a valent attempt at getting my money’s worth over the few hours - on TWO occasions during the week.  I recall walking into the restaurant and noticing a large man heartedly enjoying his meal, when we left he was still there and hadn’t appeared to have slowed down one bit!

Photos on Flickr

Video on YouTube

What is Toronto to Me

I am a Torontonian.

I just picked up the September issue of Toronto Life (thx SRS) and flipped through the first few pages - does this mag and this city fit for me?

I am older now, but I’ve enjoyed a lot of what the city has offered up over the years from days clubbing at Nuts & Bolts and the after hours at the Big Slice, wakin’ up after noon and being a regular at The East Side Cafe, meeting life-long wait staff at the original Amsterdams on John Street, taking over Silver Crown from the pizza lovin’ business folk, watching many obscure foreign movies at the Carlton cinemas, embracing the roar of IndyCar, fighter jets over the CNE and staying up for the wee hours of Nuit Blanche.  And yes I call it the SkyDome and I was there opening season for the Raptors.  I was one of 450,000 people rocking it for the massive SARSfest concert and went WTF when Noel Gallagher got tackled on the V festival stage.  

When did the High Park cherry blossoms become a thing?  Did the Distillery and Liberty Village become destinations the same year?  When did Sam’s close and the sign get taken down (it’s up again right)?  When did Sherbourne get bike lanes and is that King Street thing still a thing?

And my neighbourhoods, those corners and intersections I called home for a few years - downtown when the high rise condos stood out, the Beach when the track was kind of still there, Bloor West but in between the dodgy part and the good part, midtown when restaurants changed every few months and the parking problems around Casa Loma.

Intermission: my wife and I got busy raising a little boy and girl as young Torontonians.  

And social circles expanded when we found out about a new sport called ultimate.  We were members of TUC when it was 24 teams and played at the same 3 fields all the time - now it has games 5 nights a week (in non-pandemic times) with a healthy membership of 3,500 players.

But in recent years I’ve been south of Bloor far less often.  I’m lucky to live uptown and my view of Toronto today is quite different.  I love walking my dog in our beautiful treed neighbourhood and window shopping on Yonge Street.  It’s a comfort to know a good pub and a great restaurant are a short walk away and when we’re closer to normal, I’ll be back on the subway to head to a concert on The Danforth, reminisce at an old favourite restaurant or explore new flavours in the urban landscape.  

Have Torontonians changed or have we just got older?  There’s no doubt the diversity has increased - I don’t ever recall hearing Spanish on the streets in the 80’s.  I love it, this town, this big smoke, hogtown, TO.  I’m not ready to unsubscribe to Toronto Life just yet.

Know your audience

I recorded a vlog on Monday called He’s Rambling and Not Even Dressed for It.  I finished editing and uploaded the vlog last night.  I’m up early now on Wednesday thinking about new vlog ideas and one of them is about my audience.

One of the most memorable complements I ever received was a good friend saying she thought I was a Renaissance Man.  I’m not certain if I’d heard the term before, but I think it may have gone to my head a little - I wrote a blog about it and the related term polymath.  Anyway I’m rambling again.  The point is I have lots of different things that interest me, quite a few things that I know something about and there’s a small list of specific things I know a lot about.   You can also see this from the newer format of this blog where I’ve tried to compartmentalize topics into chapters.

Back to the vlog and this morning’s thoughts.  I was going to share my vlog, but I wasn’t certain which channels to use.  It’s certainly not related to business, so I can scratch Linkedin off the list. Twitter was the obvious channel as it is public and has the chance of finding a new audience as well as popping up in friends’ feeds.  The most active channel for friends and some family is Facebook but I’m a little conflicted with the platform recently and feel my frequent sharing of photos and travel videos is perhaps “too much” (need a better word here) for some friends.  

I perhaps watch more YouTube vlog content that read blogs today and I have noticed that a few of my favourites like Peter McKinnon are able to handle multiple audiences. For example, he’ll specifically say in the first part of the vlog that it will be more for photographers using Lightroom than for a audience looking to improve their Instagram channel.  So, I need to keep my audience in mind - a good lesson indeed for many situations, work, family or social.

So, I’m still a little uncertain of the audience for yesterday’s vlog.  So here’s the trick - I’ll use this blog post as a Trojan horse - for those that prefer to read the ramblings of amateur polymath, here you are.  And for Instagram, I like to use a collage to spike a little interest and I’m going to also use the trick where people embed a link into their profile as a path to a different channel.  How’s that?  Enjoy hump day Wednesday everyone.

Pandemic Times

I don’t think 2020 will be forgotten for a very long time by anyone who’s old enough to remember the global COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s the first truly global event in our lifetime that is impacting the entire planet.  (For the record, I wouldn’t call global warming “an event” - yes, it has global affects, but it’s also not as immediately impactful as COVID-19).  For the most part, it has made us feel a little closer as global citizens and as close we’re ever going to be (hopefully) in defending the planet from a alien invasion.

But it does affect people in different ways.  I consider myself very lucky: I have a job that I can continue to do effectively while working from my home office; I’m happily married to my best friend and enjoy our home life; we have a nice home that has a deck, a porch, and a backyard with a cabana so we can get out of the house.  I’m also free to walk my dog around our beautiful urban neighbourhood which also gives me a chance for frequent front yard visits with my oldest university friends.  My parents are well and I’m in touch with them on a regular basis and my children are healthy and managing to work and study and enrich their lives.  I feel connected to my entire family and friends via the myriad of electronic channels and we have the convenience of grocery pickups, well organized restaurant takeout and delivery options for almost everything we need.  I’m healthy and not overly stressed out and I have a lot of hobbies to keep me engaged when I’m not working.  I’m a lucky man.

But there are many people truly suffering in these pandemic times, those that have lost their jobs, or are being financially impacted by lost business, those feeling very alone from not being in psychical contact with their friends and of course, those that have have fallen ill or lost loved ones to COVID-19.  I also feel it’s very important to keep thinking of the front line workers and anyone that is helping us get through these hard times.  As I said in a personal video thank you I put together early on in the pandemic, thank you to so many that are going beyond the call of duty and in many cases, putting their own health in danger to keep the rest of use healthy.

What I’ve been struggling with is understanding the psychological impact of these massive global, as well as local, changes - how the isolation, travel and visiting restrictions and health concerns are affecting me.

Like many people, I miss going to a restaurant or having a pint at the pub, I’m missing having friends over for dinner parties or planning a weekend getaway or the next vacation with my wife.  I miss playing ultimate frisbee - for the exercise as well as for its social aspects.  I miss visiting my mom and dad and even miss my business trips south of the border.  

And some of these things intersect with my hobbies and in some degree reduces the material for my hobbies and creates more introspection rather than relying on external factors.  Let me explain - If I’m not traveling, then I’m not seeing so many new places and therefore the amount of travel photography and videos I'm making is cut down.  This also makes it hard to justify that next camera upgrade :).  Likewise, if I’m not going to any live sporting events, concerts or documenting family visits, I’m experiencing far less moments that need remembering.  If I’m not traveling for business, I’m far less concerned about my wardrobe and hardly have any reason to shop for clothes.  While at my desk the other day I absentmindedly kicked my suitcase (tucked away under the desk) - I actually contemplated buying new luggage just 6 months ago - ha.  This week on a group work call, I was informed about the stringent approval requirements for business travel.  Does anyone at my company actually believe business travel is going to happen any time soon?  My colleagues on the call felt similarly and the consensus appears to be that no one will be visiting customers until at the earliest 2021.

When every week day and weekend is the same, I find I’m struggling for inspiration for my photography, filmmaking and writing.  I’m having to think more carefully about my choices and a different way to value my time.  Pre-pandemic times, so much of my life was driven by external factors and by other people and daily activities were much more reactive and unpredictable.  For saying there are so many restrictions of what I can do when I step on the sidewalk, my agenda is more in my control at the moment. As restrictions ease a little and we get more comfortable wearing a mask and getting closer to other people, opportunities are starting to open up for little gems of adventure.   This past week we sent to see the Van Gogh Immersive Exhibition.  It was wonderful creative art and I welcomed the old feeling of awe and inspiration.

At many times over these last 6 months, I’ve recognized that I’ve enjoyed this change forced upon me. It’s given me the time to enjoy more moments, pay closer attention to my art, more carefully choose what TV and films to watch.  I’ve had time to read more (although I still find it tiring and I have little patience for a slow plot).  My house is a little cleaner, some (small) home projects are getting done a little quicker.  And luckily I’m not completely bored of our home meal menus.

Enjoying this?  Really?  Do I prefer this than life before the pandemic - no, I definitely cannot say that.  But I’ve tried to make the most of a bad situation and I think I’m learning something about myself and about what’s makes me happy.  It’s given me a little breathing space and much needed time for contemplation and study. 

But maybe it’s taken this long for the new reality to settle in - I do miss being in a space with other humans - whether it’s a simple pub lunch with my wife or an excuse for an after-party with a old friends at a new found hot spot.  Or a stroll around the Art Gallery of Ontario (without a mask and seeing the deep thought on people’s faces), rubbing shoulders with food shoppers at the St. Lawrence Market, or soaking up nouveau European trends at Eataly.   What about sharing a groove with an intimate concert crowd or singing out loud your favourite rock anthems with thousands of fans.  I’m beginning to miss that more often now.  

So I balance a little sadness of missing old times with new-found introspection and a more gentle pace of life.  Or maybe I’m just showing my age.

The younger man in me just found this track that collects a lot of what many people are perhaps thinking about these days.  For the record, “new-found introspection and a more gentle pace of life” sounds pretty Zen to me.  Apologies and warning about the expletive in the chorus.

Sunday evening in pandemic times

Originally drafted in May, 2020 - who would have thought we’d be getting almost used to these weird times...

Weird feeling late on a Sunday.

Like most people in the world, I am physical distancing from other people.
Over the weekend, my wife and I have kept busy, chatting with friends and family and making our home life comfortable.

I felt I worked hard around the house this weekend. And I legistamately felt I worked hard a my real job this week. But as the weekend draws to a close, my personal life seems very out of sync with what’s happening “out there”. There are so many people suffering in so many ways - but I’m not seeing it in person. 

These are truly vey weird times. A time that is creating new extremes and divides. I’m a lucky man.

Friday night music: Time machine friends and family

How’s this for a Friday night music thread...

There’s a two artists that are in my head

The first modern Aussie who I found in the last week or so - I’m really diggin’ and chillin’ to - Dope Lemon (aka Angus Stone).  Thinking his vibe is perfect for a blistering heatwave.   

The second is Stephen Stills.  I’m far from knowdegable about CSNY but I really liked watching him and listening to his stories in Echo in the Canyon.  I then found an album of his called Manassas and really dug it man.   

I can picture a hot night in Laurel Canyon in ‘72 and Angus and I jump in a time machine, grab some icy brews and laze around watching Stills and inspiring great new music.  

Whoa.   That’s a trip dude.  

50 year gap connection.  

Theme: Time machine friends and family.

——————-

I tagged about 25 of my music friends on Facebook and got quite a few comments and contributions, including:

• Parquet Courts and The Animals
• Elvis Presley and Lewis Capaldi
• Milk Carton Kids and Simon & Garfunkel
• Chance Waters and then connected to The Housemartins and The Jam

And I also added:

• Nina Simone and Amy Winehouse
• KC and the Sunshine Band and Scissor Sisters.
• Beatles and Oasis
• Katie Melua and Nancy Sinatra
• H.E.R and Buffalo Springfield

A tender moment

Just getting some blood work done yesterday and experienced a very tender moment.   Literally.  While drawing blood the lab lady in full PPE gently rested her gloved hand on my hand.  Such a simple contact but in these pandemic times it was so nice to be in physical contact with another human outside of the immediate family.

More than a deleted Tweet and then some early thoughts in pandemic times

I began writing this back in May.  The background had familiar elements, I was feeling a little miserable, maybe sorry for myself for some stupid reason.  I had drafted a Tweet that I decided to delete.  I then had a glass of wine and enjoyed a wonderful dinner with my wife.  I fond some new music and we watched some YouTube faves and the new connections made everything alright. 

No. 1 - Tom Misch - can’t get enough of his groove and bits on YouTube are just what the doctor ordered.  

No. 2. Casey Niestat on Ashley Graham’s show - I’m a massive fan of Casey’s creations and loved the natural interview with the magnetic Ashley Graham.

No 3. Then my wife has a share moment.  Out of the blue - fantastic family friendly creativity from the Holderness family.  

I then went out to walk my dog, Kooper.  A few ideas came to mind:

a) what’s the first thing you want to do after the lockdown begins to relax?  We all have things we miss and can imagine that time, but my flowchart decision point is time - how quickly you can you answer that question.  I’d argue that the people most affected by this global pandemic wouldn’t hesitate with their answer.  But perhaps for some, they would hesitate, contemplate their options and reveal something about themselves in this weird time.  This isn’t so bad for some of us that have the comforts of home and someone close to share things with.

b) Kooper.  My dog.  He has no idea what’s going on.  He’s perhaps a little confused why we’re home all the time, but except for some weird distancing going on on the street, life’s pretty good.  He’s good with the day-to-day ritual, the closeness of family and simple pleasures.  We can learn a lot from dogs like Kooper.

c) When Harry Met Sally is our favourite movie.  There’s a bit in there when Sally talks about the freedoms she’ll enjoy with her boyfriend without the burdens of kids.  It came to me tonight on the dog walk.  We’re all envisioning that day when we’re all free from this lockdown.  But in reality, for many of us, what will be that drastically improved.  Sure, we’ll get to shop for things we perhaps don’t need, we’ll enjoy (and pay heavily) for dinner and a night out with friends, we’ll risk going on the subway to a concert and we’ll be able sweat it out at the gym or on the ultimate field.  But for some of us, perhaps older folk, the best parts of the day are sitting in the living room discussing world problems with the one(s) you love.  We have that now.  Enjoy it.

Movie reviews - summer 2020

Little Women - far from linear nor expected in its form.  Silly.  Confusing timelines.  Comical at times.   Fairy-tale sweetness and melancholy mush.  But for some odd reason I liked it.  Lots of likeable characters portrayed by top notch talent.  The beauty of a period piece unsettled by modern sensibility.  Far from dull, subtle yes, but worth a shiny shilling.   7/10

Late night - although in retrospect it felt a little engineered around personal drivers, it was still entertaining, relevant and well produced.  Solid acting, poignant humour and a well paced plot.   7/10

The Wife - Shakespearean. Expecting a twist. Slater dinner scene was exotic - was that deliberate - how awkward he is versus her story. Incongruent at times. Much more lively than the billing. Complex lives and love. Beautiful cinematic art.  8/10

The Assistant - hard work with the slow pace, sombre tone and a heavy subject.  Garner was perfectly cast but even her buoyancy couldn’t really rescue this one.  Disappointing.  5/10.  After a little further thought, I’m changing this to 6/10 based on the non-transparent Jane - Garner’s portrayal is so good we can’t easily read her.  

Mudbound - heavy and relevant and really well done.  Solid acting and enough creative scriptwriting to weave a thoughtful tragic tale with a glimmer of humanity.  8/10.  

Expedition Happiness - a wonderful journey that was not purely care-free.  A wonderful range of casual video with grand drone landscapes.  Beautiful scenes of nature, culture and love.  Really liked Mogli’s soundtrack and was truly touched at many emotional turns.  Special, personal filmmaking with simple storytelling.  8/10

The Kid (the original Charlie Chaplin silent B&W film from 1921) - I think the first Chaplin movie I’ve watched in full - heartwarming story, twists and turns, heroes and villains, touching moments and frantic action.  It has it all.  Lovely old stuff - really old, like 99 years old.  IMDB fun find: Jackie Coogan who played the kid was Uncle Fester in The Addams Family.   7/10.  

American Son - Wow, very very good.   So much in here, beautifully complex characters tied around a tragic modern tale.  The screenplay was so strong and it definitely felt like a stage play.  Surprising moments that kept twisting the tension.  I watched it alone and tears were shed.  Kind of baffled by the poor reviews.  8/10

Uncut Gems - Wow.  Quite the ride.  Hard to describe and so different to what I expected.  Sandler was truly phenomenal.  Heart racing pace.  Headache tension.  Why Howard why?  Solid contribution from KG and bit part from The Weeknd.  Head spinner like a KG move with no subtlety, very little style, nor mood, but emotion aplenty.  Rich in character, story and drama.  A hint of the comedic but lost among the wreckage left behind.  8/10. 

I didn't write reviews of the following, so just noting things that have stuck with me since seeing them and a reminder from the trailers.

Fyre - crazy entertaining doc. 7/10

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - heartwarming, super performance by Hanks and strong messaging from real life. 7/10

Bombshell - riveting, expose-based-on-the-true-story wretchedness of Fox news.  7/10

Where I find new music: Part 15 - festival listings

I'm chilling to the smooth sounds of BadBadNotGood while enjoying a lovely summer afternoon on our cabana in our urban back yard.

It’s July 4th, 2020 and I compiled a commemorative playlist this morning based on some favourite US places and their fabulous musicians, the order is Hawaii - California - DC - Tennessee - NY - Michigan - Texas - Louisiana - Colorado. Some appropriate titles too, including: Better Together, Take it Easy, History, Life During Wartime, Don't Get Around Much Anymore and Caution - YouTube playlist and Apple Music playlist.

So I'm revisiting some of my faves this afternoon, including Rodriguez.  There’s a fantastic performance of his at a festival called Best Kept Secret.  I was curious about the festival and what kind of lineup would include him.  It's an annual festival in The Netherlands and appears to have an interesting combination of alternative bands and musicians.  Assuming the 2020 dates were cancelled in this year of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had a look at the 2021 line-up.  You can of course, see the headliners and you work the way the list, assuming more popular bands are toward the top of the list.  There's an unusual name there BADBADNOTGOOD that kind of rings a bell.  I Google them and notice a Tiny Desk post and take a look - nice.  I look a little further and there's a full length concert available.

And it's posted by the CBC!  These young musicians are from right here in Toronto.  Wow, great find.  Their music would perhaps fit on CBC's evening show, but I'd be surprised if I've heard them before.  

Now to see what else I find from the line-up listing.