Lessons from a vacation

• Time passes with ease (especially when you don't have to factor travel times in to your day - the beach is right there !)
• The joy of not having a schedule - hey, anyone feel like dinner yet ?
  
• You don't really need the distractions of normal life like a newspaper, the TV and the news.
• There is an odd feeling of not wishing for anything more - this beer - this view - my family with me - just perfect thanks. The amazing thing is that this can happen even when your mind has all kinds of time to wander.
  
• Laughter comes easier.
• Story telling is a staple activity and is typically better when lubricated by "liquid refreshment".
• Reading a magazine or a book in front of other people is acceptable.
• Fresh air and water is at once invigorating, and wonderfully tiring. Note that feeling tired at the cottage seems much truer than feeling tired at work and in the city.
  

Holiday hangover

I just came back from vacation on Tuesday. It's now Friday. Unfortunately the pleasures of "being away" are quickly evaporating and leaving me with a little bit of a hangover. It's not necessarily the usual, poor old me, back at work blah blah bah. This time, it's man, my city life is so crowded, everything is moving so fast, and it's so noisy. I can actually see what the other people mean ! 3 days back in the big smoke, I'm tired, my nose is being bombarded by pollution, the city seems particularly crazy and ugly and I'm already stressed. Welcome back.

Wikipedia

Wow, it's been over a month since my last post. Sorry 'bout that, been on hols and all.

This article in the Post this morning caught my attention as it's a topic of conversation that typically comes up when talking with people about the power of the internet and the accuracy of its content.

The Big Wikiquestion - the sentence that helped sum this up best was - But the best answer to the Big Wikiquestion might be "Trustworthy compared to what?"

Can we replay or recreate sensual memories ?

I've been struggling for a long time on seeing if there is a way to simulate a vacation, or perhaps recreate that special day from a past vacation, or even trying to recreate the feelings of that beautiful day spent abroad. There are a number of elements that make up a memory. Many of those elements can be recreated, but some are very elusive.

• Music and Sounds. Well you know where I stand on music and the mood it can create. This is the easy one and why music is such a wonderful experience. Whenever I hear La Vie en Rose, I think of walking home from a busy day sightseeing in Venice with my brother. It was getting dark and we were taking a more roundabout way back to the hotel. We'd just walked through a large piazza, which appeared to be the open-air evening entertainment spot for many more locals than visitors. We took a medium sized Venetian street/alley exit from the piazza en route for bed and rest before another busy day. It was very dark and you could just see the faint glow of lighting between shutters from residences on the second floor. And there it was, the clear, beautiful and immediately recognizable Piaf lyric.
  
  Il me dit des mots d´amour, Des mots de tous les jours, Et ca me fait quelque chose...
  
  
• Aromas. Although not easily recreated for an online audience, some of the sensual aromas that fill our memories can be easily recreated in our kitchen, or simply by breathing in the bouquet of a fine glass of Chianti. However many of the aromas we recall from foreign lands are more elusive, like the fragrances in the tropical air from indigenous flora. My mother often says the aroma that was most prevalent in Singapore during our visit in 1975 was frangipane. But is her memory the same as mine ? Who is to know how an aroma is for another ? For me, I remember warm December nights , no breeze, the cacophony of chit chats as a soundtrack, and the comfort of family companions as we soak in the new delights of an exotic tropical land.
  
  
• Tastes. Oh so many to savour. The taste of a pint of Theakstons XB. I was visiting cousin Pete in London with Suzanne. We'd had a few by the river in Richmond, surrounded by people quitting work early and tipping a few pints. We took a short black cab ride up the hill to one of Pete's faves - The Roebuck. We grabbed our pints and casually walked across the road to take in the view of the Thames. It looked with a scene from a Turner painting. The XB was a perfect temperature, still, and with the rich balance of bitterness and a touch of sweetness was liquid heaven. It went down smooth and had me asking for another. More importantly I left a wonderful memory of England, as it should be, with an amber pint of the good stuff in your hand. I think I've had a Theakston's since then, but it will never be the same feeling as that day. Maybe it's the combination of senses that is the essential factor of the moment, not just any one sensual memory ?
  
  
• Touch. I love the feeling of sand between my toes and one of the beaches that I have clearest memories of is at The Coral Reef Club in Barbados. Suzanne and I had stayed there on our honeymoon and then returned for our 10th anniversary in 2001. The casual walk along the beach as the thinning waves tickle your feet is just the thing to wipe away thoughts of business deadlines and big city nonsense. That feeling of alternating damp and hot sand and warm salty water is one I want to remember forever and hopefully feel again. I remember we packed a bottle of 1997 Monsanto Chianti Classico and after another day in paradise we set up on the beach for the sunset. The feeling of nestling that bottle in the sand and the pressure of the chaise lounge on your slightly burnt back and a rock glass in your hand with traces of sand on its bottom (not to mention the sumptuous taste and bouquet of the wine), Simply wonderful.
  
  
• Sites. Quite difficult to pick just one, but one of nature's most glorious sites and one of my favorite places in the world is Whistler. The first time I had the pleasure of skiing in Whistler was in 1989. I remember taking the Village Gondola up Whistler Mountain which actually delivered me to the Roundhouse. From there you get your first glimpse of the true peak and the threat of the high alpine. And from the top, looking across the vast expanse of mountain range is one of those times when you truly get a sense of how small you are and how powerful nature can be. Breathtaking. However, this is the hardest sense to recreate, even with beautiful photography or the latest in high def film, the view is not the same from behind a lens.
  

I'm contemplating writing down the clearest and fondest of memories and trying to capture the sensual experiences of those events. Just writing these down today has taken me around the world and brought back so many wonderful feelings. Perhaps I can venture past capturing old feelings to conjuring new ones.

The passion of football

Most people in the world get it and a lot of sports fans in North America don't.

Football. Futbol. Soccer.

Some of you may not know but the world under-20 World Cup is happening here in Toronto right now. Combine that with the local excitement of having the new MLS Toronto FC here in town and the recent Copa America, there is no shortage of football to see right now.

You can get a good appreciation for the level of support simply by listening to the commentary. On one side, you have the crazed passions of Latin American commentators we get to enjoy on some of our local Italian and Spanish language TV - GOL GOL GOL ! Then on the other hand, the very dull commentary of CBC coverage of the U-20's. And somewhere in between, the childlike enthusiasm of MLS commentators. As the MLS season continues, the U-20's wrap up on Sunday, the English Premiere League is just around the corner - olé - olé olé olé.

Football is one of those games that is appreciated by amateur players of the game, but stands above every other sport in the world because of it's global and universal appeal, it's simplicity and its rich local and national legacies.

However, those passions can sometimes get a little overheated. Case in point - last night's U-20 semi final. Not only was it a hotly contested Latin rivalry, but player tempers boiled over way after game time - see Chilean soccer team involved in melee with police. But as many people would agree, the importance of football to many young people in the world may be understandable. Similar to African American basketball players in the US, football players in Latin American see football as a way to escape their underprivileged communities and make a living (for themselves and family) by playing the game they love. It's not an easy path to the top and when something rightly or wrongly stands in their way to fame and fortune, attitudes get predictably skewed.

I've been lucky to see some great football of late, including a couple of exciting Toronto FC games plus the U-20 Quarter final game between the US and Austria. Plus a small bonus the other day as we had to rearrange our ultimate field because the Argentina U-20's boys were knocking it around next to us. Subbing in now and again and playing a little over the winter keeps my footy skills in tune and I'm only a few breaths away from diving in a coaching my son again. It's fair to say, football is quite a big part of my life.

I've often tried to explain the intensity of the sport to North Americans. I ask if they could picture one sport that combines the legacies, fan support and history across the NBA, NHL, NFL and major league baseball. Imagine the rivalries and intensity with the Chicago Cubs, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Cowboys and Boston Red Sox in one sport !

And coming back around, this passion for football is what makes it a great spectacle. Perhaps you're not at the point of civil riot, but I'm sure little kid's ears are often covered when England loses on penalty kicks. Add in the memories of kids pretending to be Bobby Moore and Pele and now Beckham, kicking it around in the back yard; being in full voice supporting your local squad; coming home bruised and muddy after a "friendly recreational game"; or coaching kids who really want to improve their game - there are lots of reasons for the passion of the game.

If it was just passion and simplicity and global appeal, then maybe wrestling would be a substitute for football. However, the physical elements and game strategy do make it a great sport. You just try and chest down a high cross to your right foot, move it over to your left and strike for goal with a neanderthal defender breathing down your neck. Or more impressively, stand your ground to an advancing bull, aka Wayne Rooney. The game is one of ebb and flow, taking risky chances, brave sliding or aerial challenges, thunder strikes or ballet-like touches and stamina.

I liked the game as a youngster, appreciated the game playing against strong opponents and now love it for all of the above reasons and more.

Handling life's disappointments

Big or small, the disappointments that hit us on a regular basis can disrupt an otherwise perfect day or put you in the dumps for a few days. Whether it's a stray tee shot, your soccer team's dismal performance, losing the deal, or scheduling and priority changes that steal away your precious little personal plans - all disappointments have a way of lingering too long and distracting us from positive things that are happening around us all the time.

Wise advice is often "don't worry about it, it's not that important". But if it wasn't important, then we wouldn't be so disappointed would we ? Are they saying we shouldn't get excited about the prospects of good things happening, overcoming challenges or maximizing what life has to offer, just in case they don't turn out ?

Maybe for some of us, our expectations are too high ? Of we fill our lives with too many dreams and plans, rather than appreciating what we already have ?

I think this is just another aspect of balance in one's life. The balance between: moving forward, enriching your life, or the life of others around you; versus enjoying the journey and getting the most of what you have now; and avoiding living too much in the past and reminiscing of great times past.

Time to check the life scale again. After all, I am a Libra.

Tell me it isn't so

Very bad news, hot off the press...

AllOfMP3 Shut Down by Russian Government

Aah, but my account is still active on mp3sparks.com, thanks for the tip TorrentFreak. It's the same owner of allofmp3.com with same backend, so apologies in advance lads if you still can't make a payment.

I'm back, looking for new Editors tracks.

Tell me it isn't so

Very bad news, hot off the press...

AllOfMP3 Shut Down by Russian Government

Aah, but my account is still active on mp3sparks.com, thanks for the tip TorrentFreak. It's the same owner of allofmp3.com with same backend, so apologies in advance lads if you still can't make a payment.

I'm back, looking for new Editors tracks.

Cross channel commentary and the society of facebook

I was invited to join facebook by a good fried of mine yesterday. After blowing a few hours and now starting to explore the various features of the product / service / cyber-societal landing, I'm still trying to define it's value.

Some people ask me why I have a blog. Perhaps I explained this in my first few postings, but I think I blog because I want to share my ideas, hoping to make the reader laugh or ask a question about their own lives. The entertainer in me also likes to tell of great movies or introduce what I consider fabulous music to other people who perhaps don't have the time or means to explore the vast world of new music. On the selfish side, I'm very proud of my heritage and the city I call home, so I tend to promote things of relating to England and the great things that go on the big T.O. I also used to write in a journal now and again, so I thought I'd put it in a more available format (although I really do need to back this stuff up) and open up some of my life a little more to family and friends. Pretty decent reason to blog, no ?

What about Linkedin ? Another site very similar to facebook in that in defines the six degrees of separation (a great movie as well) in our lives. Linkedin does this for your business relationships and facebook for your social side. There are clear values in these online services if you're looking for a new job or a new girlfriend. With the unpredictability of the business world, the saying is very true, keep your business network up to date. Linkedin appears to do this quite well and I'm sure it will be a very valuable tool when I need it. Good reasons to spend a little time keeping your business network up to date. The interesting side effect of Linkedin is that you get a mini news feed on changes in other people's lives. Honestly, it's just nice to find out what your old work colleagues are up to and in many cases, where their lives intersect with your timeline and business network.

I think this is the interesting side of facebook. My wife has a little bit of a problem with the news feed stuff on facebook that shows what other friends are doing online (e.g. adding friends or trivial items like changing their favourite TV show), but I think this feature is pretty intriguing. Facebook seems to be doing a good job of letting people get over the fear of sharing personal things with friends. I think people already recognize blogs and facebook as new new channels for self-expression. Funnily enough, these new online forums may just be what we need to regain that close connection with family and friends. Of course, the cyber realities can never replace real life personal interaction, but the way most of our lives are structured today, there is very little room for wine infused dinner parties every night of the week, or finances to share a pint with Brits and Aussies every month. Actually I think there is some opportunity to expand on these online network sites and get close to a feeling of a cyber get-together. Here's the idea...

i. Invite a group of friends to a online meeting place at a specified time.
ii. You could be joining solo or as a small group (i.e. your spouse or friend in your living room).
iii. The mood is set by perhaps a type of people invited, food, drink and of course a fine selection of music (BYOM; I'm still looking for an easy way to stream music playlists to a private group, kind of like hearing a playlist from Finetune simultaneously and everyone can add tunes on the fly).
iii. Then you just have a handy IM chat room available to lob in the topic of choice. Guest chime in with their thoughts, links are instantly looked up and posted, jokes are told, pictures are shared, favourites are discussed and links provided for future (sober) reference.

But I digress. Getting back to thoughts of facebook (and Linkedin), what about the new online etiquette rules that we are creating (as humourously pointed out in another friend's blog). What are the consequences of ignoring, or worse, rejecting an invite ? What if someone brings in a friend you're not keen on ? For the record, I don't accept all invites. For Linkedin, I feel I have to clearly remember working together (in whatever capacity), a place and time and perhaps even a face. For facebook, the general rule is simple, I've usually had a few drinks with the person and enjoy their company (or I connected in a way where I want to have a drink with them).

On the positive side, I think it's wonderful to be reminded of the breadth and depth of the relationships you've created in your life. I'm sure my wife could blend in an angle of photo scrapbooking into this so we could share some old photos along the way. It's just up to us, in our new cyber friendships to keep it all alive, expand it into new experiences and enrich our lives.

I'm sure this will be the beginning of a whole thread on this topic, so I won't attempt to exhaust all angles tonight. Food for thought !

Paul & Giacomo

Just heard about this gem on my new favourite talk radio station - CFRB 1010. Regular British Bloke Sings Puccini, beautifully on YouTube. Tears in my eyes.

Paul & Giacomo

Just heard about this gem on my new favourite talk radio station - CFRB 1010. Regular British Bloke Sings Puccini, beautifully on YouTube. Tears in my eyes.

'T'

I watched the final episode of the Sopranos last night. I gave it 15 minutes before trying to find some explanation on the web of what I'd just watched.

Thanks to the show's popularity, it's fertile ground for commentary on the people and the world, and good writers willing to dissect every episode, there is some great final reviews this morning.

Last night I was disappointed with the ending. But after reading a few reviews, I feel a lot better now.

Spoilers within:

CNN - 'Sopranos' last episode leaves much up in the air (they summed up my thoughts quite well during the last scene!)

Toronto Star - Sopranos ending that no one saw coming

Bloomberg - Hapless Phil Gets Whacked, Sopranos Share a Final Family Meal

The divide

People talk about the divide between people. Of course there is a divide, otherwise their wouldn't be news to report. I'm talking about the divide between couples.

As married folk, we start off with the belief that our relationships are one of compromise. Compromise must exist for a civil relationship, but I feel there is something else at play.

I feel as we get older, man and women start to figure out what they really want in life. They focus their likes and more importantly their dislikes. The 45 year old woman who says - I'm sorry, life's too short, I don't have time (or the body) to learn how to snowboard and I just don't care for horror movies and bourbon ! Have fun, count me out ! [male perspective talking here - but I'm sure there's a female one, including talks of Patrick Demsey and the latest he-said-she-said].

Some lucky buggers may never experience this. But others that do - it's important to recognize the inherent differences of each other and respect the wants, likes and passions of our loved ones. We need to recognize that sometimes that we are very different people who need quite different things out of life, who just happen to be in love together, and need one another to make it all worthwhile.

A few questions

Here's a theory.

What's up with people who deliver a self-focused, pseudo-monologue rather than asking questions.

Some people feel that asking questions is being nosy.

I feel that asking someone questions about their life, their ideas, their likes and dislikes isn't being nosy, but rather shows interest and a potential to connect.

It takes two sides...but if no one is asking you questions about your topic, I'm sorry to say it's a sign that your topic is not of interest (at that point in time) !

I think many of us like to tell people about our lives, but the moment has to be right. Is the audience interested, or more importantly equipped with the right questions to ask you to get the real story.

Side note: questions that don't count: How are you ? How's work going ? You get the point.

Very Zen

Repeat monotonous activity with a spiritual rhythm - that's my definition.

I think everyone needs to engage in a zen-like activity now and again.

I did some painting today. I don't mean deep abstracter art on canvas, but rather putting the 3rd coat of pure white behr on the new front steps. Very zen. Sometimes I set something like this up, with the big mug of coffee and the portable tunes, but I went au natural today - I even heard a sea gull overhead at one point.

The time goes by so fast but so much goes thru your mind as you're absorbed in a mundane physical activity. I think THEY talk about this in respect to Buddhist monks or the like - finding enlightenment from trivial, repetitious acts. The rhythm seems to let the mind catch the edge of a new idea or take a long surf into old ideas - refining deep thoughts and putting the world into perspective.

I thought perhaps that hobbies may recreate the same emotions, but I think it depends on the hobby.

A reason to do the dishes, mow the lawn or shine your shoes.

James versus Stanley

A couple of sports things of note.

I read in the paper yesterday that the estimated number of US viewers for game 1 of the Stanley Cup NHL Playoffs was just over a dismal 500,000 . Ouch. Bro - you have more mates than that don't you ?

I was trying to find the link to the specific story, but couldn't find it, but ran into all kinds of articles about NBC turning off the Buffalo Ottawa semi final overtime period in favour of a Preakness pre-show.

My take: the US are missing out on one of the most hard fought championships in global sport today. Fantastic athletes, fast action, huge drama and intensity.

I saw the 5th game of the NBA Cleveland Detroit semi final last night. I haven't been following this series too closely, but I picked a good one to watch (even though I didn't start watching until mid way thru the 4th quarter). Turns out the Cavs won after 2 overtime periods. The big story - the big man - LeBron James. "James' career playoff-high 48 points - including his team's final 25 and 29 of its final 30 - carried Cleveland within a win of the NBA finals for the first time in franchise history".

My take: I'm not a huge fan of seeing one player dominate in team sport, but this was just an incredible exhibition of athletics, drive, focus and passion. This guy is good. Jordan good ? If he can step up and win big when it counts and also make his team better, maybe. Worth watching for sure.

Cheers Queen Vic - may I amuse you ?

Raising a glass for Victoria Day here in Canada - the first of our good weather long weekends (well deserved I must say).

Just a few tidbits of entertainments stuff for the week.

Best new music find: the new Manic Street Preachers' album, fantastic single "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" with Nina Persson of The Cardigans, is on short rotation and lyrically embedded in short term RAM. Anthem worthy, rock sensibilities, and a little Robbie vocal-like.

Latest album that keeps getting better after every listen: Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare, 'nuff said. Note that all their lyrics are on the official web site.

Best ending for a TV series: Sopranos ? (not yet, still a few episodes away, but building...). Life on Mars ! I wanted to write some thoughts on the final episode but didn't want to be a spoiler (even thought of burying it with an old date stamp to avoid an accidental glance for regular readers). Let's just say that I think the ending was well done and enough for some analysis over beers. I hope I haven't set expectation too high !

New TV still awaiting the vote: Durham County and The Riches. I think Durham County is leading this one. Both shows provide some real intensity and darker sides of society. And interestingly both have some "life frightening" teenager stuff. On screen dramatic content featuring pre-teen and teenager angles is starting to grab my attention with two kids closing in on this much anticipated "joyous" time of life.

On a similar theme, best DVD rental of late: Deja vu. If you're a fan of movies tackling the elements of the time dimension, you'll love this one. Apart from a mind blowing story, there's also great stunt and fx work and of course superb acting from Washington.

Sports: Capt'n Canada Steve Nash out of the NBA playoffs but VC killers Cavs now top fave for PJ; Sens finally have a chance at Stanley awaiting Ducks or Wings (M&D losing sleep and finger nails with every game); Toronto FC still entertaining but suffered a disappointing loss on Saturday; FA Cup rather disappointing, but I'm looking forward to the Champion's League final on Wednesday (conflicting with new ulty season starting on Wed too).

The Joy of Live Entertainment

Really excited.

Still feeling the sun on the face from watching the Toronto FC win their first game in MLS this afternoon. What a cracker of a game.

Bonus weekend as we saw the Arctic Monkeys last night. What a cracker of a show.

Just two of a good run of live entertainment I've enjoyed recently and a reminder to all about the joy of seeing sports, music, theatre live !

The only downside of this form of entertainment is the cost. Build in parking, pre-drinks, snacks, babysitting, souvenirs, more snacks, taxi fare onto the high price of event tickets and too much of a good thing will buy you a ticket to the poor house. But if you can pick a few choice events throughout the year and offset all that money you're saving my buying your music cheap from Russia, then it can be very well worth it ! Even if you can't get a ticket to that exclusive concert or can't afford the hundreds of dollars for seats for a legendary sports team (Leafs, Yankees, ManU, Cowboys, Lakers) - then setting yourself up with the good (and quite affordable) home audio and video equipment can create an experience that comes close to watching sports or concerts in person. The difference is that when you're at the arena, the concert hall, the stadium you have a feeling that the performers and putting on the show just for you ! Although I don't think I've ever experienced a video reproduction of theatre that comes off right (still waiting for a newer version of Les Miserables) !

When it comes to sports, almost every time you get to see sports live it's a thrill - witnessing the speed of the play, the distances, the off-ball movement etc. Most of us don't get to experience the truest and highest level of sport live - the World Cup, a Wimbledon final, The Ryder Cup. With sports on TV, you just have to make sure you're tuned in to the events that mean something, e.g. any north American major league playoff series (right now quick switching between NHL and NBA playoff games), the majors of golf and tennis, Champions League and of course the Olympics. The setup should include appropriate menus, drinks, pre-game events, the right company and then just turn it up !

A few pointers to some great DVD concerts: Vertigo 2005: U2 Live from Chicago and Diana Krall: Live in Paris and then just ask my Dad for his pics - he loves watching them ! Some great HD stuff on Austin City Limits these days too.

With the danger of sounding like we're out every week, living the high life and loaded, I'd love to share a few wonderful shows that have collectively caused me to bring this message to the blog - get off the couch and go out a see something live !

We Will Rock You . If you ever loved Queen, a must see.
She Stoops to Comedy at Woolly Mammoth in DC. A great example of how wonderful small-venue-local-theatre can be. My sis-in-law is working on a lot of the marketing for the new hip and highly original Dead Man's Cell Phone at Woolly Mammoth (I love that name).
Kaiser Chiefs at Koolhaus.

And the very clear memory of fantastic events I shared with many of you in years past including: the SARS Benefit concert with 450,000 of my closest friends in the summer of 2003; Bjork's North American debut with the Sugar Cubes in a very steamy Kensington Market underground bunker; The Cult; The The At Fed Hall, University of Waterloo; Coldplay's Buzz gig in Toronto in 2005; seeing Diana Krall in a small jazz club; seeing Micheal Imperioli play off-Broadway in Aven'U Boys.; being in the right time at the right place to see George Carlin do a practice set at The Improv in Greenwich Village; and finally seeing Nigel Mansell winning the British GP in 1992. I know as soon as I post this, I'll think of another one.

Quick finds and "changing facts"

While enjoying another delicious bowl of soup from the Soup Man, I was doing a little paddling around the "interweb" and thought I'd read up a little about my home town Coventry. Most of what was covered was familiar but an interestingly historical note seemed to be missing. Brave as I am, I quickly tested the theory of wikipedia, I created a wiki user and I EDITED the Coventry entry ! I also found out that one of my favourite Brit actors was born in Cov - Clive Owen, well what do you know !

From Coventry I moved over to Bedworth, where I grew up in England. (in)Famous people include: Pete Doherty, well what do you know and he went to the same school as my Mum - well, different years; and Selwyn Froggitt - well, the actor !

Dogs - the good and bad

Great story I read on the way to work this morning showing why dogs are such great pets and part of the family, but also another example of the horrible side of dogs.

Tiny terrier sacrifices its life to save five children from pitbulls