Best albums of 2007 (by request)

A quick summary of top 10 albums of 2007. I'll start with actual CDs I purchased...

Feist - The Reminder. She's been on lots of best ofs and deservedly so. A few too many quiet numbers, but lovely variety and catchy tracks. Selected tracks: I'm sorry; I feel it all; My moon my man; Sea Lion woman; 1 2 3 4.

Justin Nozuka - Holly. Local Toronto Kid with lots of maturity in his singer songwriter lyrics. Great live show at the Mod Club. Selected tracks: Down in a cold dirty well; Golden train; Be back soon; After tonight.

Champion - Chill 'em all. This album dates back quit a while but I bought it in 2007 and everything else of his since them, including latest DVD. Show of the year for me at Lee's. Selected tracks: No heaven; Tavern; Tawoumga; Keep on; The plow.

Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare. Not as good as the opener, but still lots of good stuff and fab live. Selected tracks: 505; Old yellow bricks; Do me a favour; Fluorescent adolescent; Teddy picker.

Now on to standout albums from which I downloaded multiple tracks:

Manic Street Preachers - Send away the tigers. Fantastic tracks, warm, emotional sing-alongs. Selected tracks: Autumnsong; Indian summer; Your love alone is not enough.

Hard-Fi - One upon a time in the west. Sophomore album, more polish, still great heart and energy. Selected tracks: Little angel; We need love; I can't get along; Tonight; Suburban knight; Watch me fall apart.

Reverend and the Makers - The state of things. Lots of dancin' cheeky fun. Selected tracks: Open your window; He said he loved me; Bandits; heavyweight Champion of the world.

Kaiser Chiefs - Your truly, angry mob. Second album from Brit hit makers. Lots of great tracks, fun live show at Koolhaus and fantastic video for Ruby. Selected tracks: Love's not a competition (but I'm winning); Heat dies down; The angry mob; Ruby.

And finally album of the year:

The Enemy - We'll live and die in these towns. Coventry (my home town) youngsters with a lot to say (well). Selected tracks: This song; You're not alone; Dancin' all night; Had enough; Fear killed he youth of our nation; Away from here.

Footnote - and a few that didn't quite make the top 10 but worth noting: Timbaland - Shock value; Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (cuz it was from 2006, but got tons of playtime in 2007); Mark Ronson - Version; Tiesto - In search of Sunrise (vol. 6). And a few more that were late finds: Band of Horses - Cease to begin; Robert Plant and Allison Krauss - Raising Sand; Seal - System.

Best albums of 2007 (by request)

A quick summary of top 10 albums of 2007. I'll start with actual CDs I purchased...

Feist - The Reminder. She's been on lots of best ofs and deservedly so. A few too many quiet numbers, but lovely variety and catchy tracks. Selected tracks: I'm sorry; I feel it all; My moon my man; Sea Lion woman; 1 2 3 4.

Justin Nozuka - Holly. Local Toronto Kid with lots of maturity in his singer songwriter lyrics. Great live show at the Mod Club. Selected tracks: Down in a cold dirty well; Golden train; Be back soon; After tonight.

Champion - Chill 'em all. This album dates back quit a while but I bought it in 2007 and everything else of his since them, including latest DVD. Show of the year for me at Lee's. Selected tracks: No heaven; Tavern; Tawoumga; Keep on; The plow.

Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare. Not as good as the opener, but still lots of good stuff and fab live. Selected tracks: 505; Old yellow bricks; Do me a favour; Fluorescent adolescent; Teddy picker.

Now on to standout albums from which I downloaded multiple tracks:

Manic Street Preachers - Send away the tigers. Fantastic tracks, warm, emotional sing-alongs. Selected tracks: Autumnsong; Indian summer; Your love alone is not enough.

Hard-Fi - One upon a time in the west. Sophomore album, more polish, still great heart and energy. Selected tracks: Little angel; We need love; I can't get along; Tonight; Suburban knight; Watch me fall apart.

Reverend and the Makers - The state of things. Lots of dancin' cheeky fun. Selected tracks: Open your window; He said he loved me; Bandits; heavyweight Champion of the world.

Kaiser Chiefs - Your truly, angry mob. Second album from Brit hit makers. Lots of great tracks, fun live show at Koolhaus and fantastic video for Ruby. Selected tracks: Love's not a competition (but I'm winning); Heat dies down; The angry mob; Ruby.

And finally album of the year:

The Enemy - We'll live and die in these towns. Coventry (my home town) youngsters with a lot to say (well). Selected tracks: This song; You're not alone; Dancin' all night; Had enough; Fear killed he youth of our nation; Away from here.

Footnote - and a few that didn't quite make the top 10 but worth noting: Timbaland - Shock value; Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (cuz it was from 2006, but got tons of playtime in 2007); Mark Ronson - Version; Tiesto - In search of Sunrise (vol. 6). And a few more that were late finds: Band of Horses - Cease to begin; Robert Plant and Allison Krauss - Raising Sand; Seal - System.

United 93

The credits are still rolling and I'm just starting to calm down a little, I don't think I've been effected that much by a movie in a long time. Even knowing the endpoint, the stress level throughout was immense and flashbacks of the day came pouring back. Sweaty palms, tears, the whole lot. Wow. Brilliant, realistic film making at its best - an important film remembering 9/11. 9 out of 10.

The ankle update

I saw my orthopedic surgeon today and I'm happy to say that my ankle is mending quite well. I'm out of the second hard cast and now in a "air boot". This hard plastic boot is removable but is still bulky, but because I have straps that I can adjust, I'm hoping it will be more comfortable once I get used to it. Because I have this stainless steel plate and 7 screws holding my ankle together (and I promised to follow doctor's orders), it doesn't have to be in a cast. However, I cannot put weight on it for at least another 4 weeks. But I can remove the boot to shower and begin some basic physiotherapy. Getting movement going earlier is the best thing to speed up the recovery process ! The pic above shows the position of the plate and the strews - cool stuff eh ! Not sure whether to include the Frankenstein shot of the stitched up wound or not - I'll see what the general consensus is and perhaps provide an update with a pic below or send individually to the horror fans in the crowd.

The game of Life

When I was doing some early Christmas shopping I came across an updated version of the board game The Game of Life. This version is called Twists and Turns, and along with some high tech additions, the object of the game has changed - "the winner is not the person with the most money, but the one who earns the most 'life points' — a mix of wealth and life experiences".

I chose not to buy the game as I had a preference for something requiring a little more strategy. After reading quite a few game sites and reviews, I chose Ticket to Ride. As the family will agree, a big success at our Christmas gathering and I'm sure it will be a family favourite for a long time. Great game, a little luck and many different strategy angles, good for 2 (pretty good)-5 (better) players (but no more). Beautiful game pieces and city based game makes it appealing. I've got ideas to purchase newer editions and other creative and strategic games for the family for the future. Since playing the game a few times, we bumped into old friends over the holidays and sure enough, their family are huge fans of the game too !

The kids did get the original (or slightly updated) version of Life from friends for Christmas and it is quite a lot of fun, but it's still mostly luck rather than strategy. However it does bring up some interesting topics of conversation with the kiddies, like taking the family route rather than taking a riskier route to advance your career. Losing your job in the game doesn't quite capture the impact of the same in real life however.

It is true that luck does play a major part in how our lives unfold, and some people are always saying he's so lucky etc. I have the opinion that we make our own luck. I'm not necessarily talking about lottery type of luck, but we can try and put ourselves in a position to be lucky. Be aware of what's going on around you in life and business and don't be afraid of taking a calculated chance.

Back to the board game topic...what if we take that updated board game to an even greater sense of reality. But what would be the point ? We're not going to torture ourselves by playing a game that reminds us of all the terrible things that can happen in our lives, are we ? But perhaps we could learn, like kids learning from these more innocent versions, what is most important in Life and how to win !

This is how you win.

• Your get yourself a good, well rounded education.
• You...
• Save some money for the proverbial rainy day...
• Live a life of adventure,
• Take trips
• While paying close attention to your career path,
• And finding a soul mate,
• Then raising children so they know the rules of Life and how to win,
• You score points by accumulating friends; stories and experiences; inner peace; and making sure your children have the opportunity to succeed and build a legacy.

Or scratching that idea and perhaps coming to the sober and simpler conclusion that Life is best enjoyed when you don't consider every move, or the end result as a must win situation. Just have some fun playing along and enjoy the ride. That's worth teaching to your kids (unless they're hoping to play professional sports).

Lessons to be learned from my fall

In case you haven't been reading the papers you may have missed the opening PJMixer story for 2008 - I broke my ankle a couple of Fridays ago. It was one of those nasty slip and fall accidents in an icy parking lot. Ironically, I'd been skiing with the family all afternoon and was on my way back to the car at the end of day. There are quite a few memories of apparent insignificant decisions I made during the walk that haunt me a little - maybe we should take this earlier aisle and find that gap in the snow bank; watch for the cars; let's walk close to the bank where the snow is better. Then I turned the corner from the roadway to the aisle and the road sloped down a little. We spotted the car and in that instant the dusting of snow gave way to a sloped ramp of ice. I was carrying quite a bulky equipment bag and lost my footing once or twice before the final extended plant of my right foot which immediately went over on edge and twisted. I heard Suzanne yell about the same time I let out a cry of pain and then I was in a pile on the ground trying to otch over on my bum out of the way of an exiting car ( I still think I may have heard a crack as it happened). I immediately thought I'd broken it, but after assessing the damage I seemed to be able to move it quite well and I could actually put some weight on it to get into the car. Suzanne found a ski patrol guy to look it over and he did a pretty thorough assessment although it was now beginning to swell. He said it was a bad sprain and gave me a snow bag for the trip home. At home, I iced it, had some dinner, took some Ibuprofen and went to bed. I could hobble around a little and in the morning called TeleHealth for advice on the quickest way to get an x-ray. I went to emergency pretty early on the Saturday. Triage and the first resident doctor guessed that I had a bad sprain - especially since I shouldn't be able to walk on it if I'd actually broken anything. After one more assessment and some pushing from my side, I got the x-ray that showed the damage. Here's the funny thing. I asked the radiologist if it was broken and he said that he wasn't allowed to say anything, after which he quickly added "don't put much weight on that" a couple of times as I hobbled back to the treatment room ! Diagnosis: lateral malleolus fracture.

The rest is mostly about hospital visits, surgery and recovery. The one interesting aspect is reporting first hand on the Canadian health care system. I'm lucky to live close to one the one best hospitals in the country and so far the service has been quite good at Sunnybrook. I got the orthopedic surgeon appointment within 2 days and my surgery was 3 days after that. I've counted the number of people I've interacted with since going to emergency, including admins and receptionists (because you have to wait for them too and they can help you through the process): 21 (including 8 doctors, residents, radiologists, anesthetists and surgeons) over approx. 15 hours in the hospital.

Getting to the lessons, and hopefully relaying some insight rather just rambling on about my bad luck.

Accidents happen. No matter how well you protect yourself and take care, accidents do happen. With all the sports I play, collisions and falls I've had, I've never sustained a broken bone in sports. I must admit a couple of past serious injuries occurred in situations involving alcohol, however this being the most serious was just one of those unlucky accidents. I've had a few slips on ice this winter and occasionally felt a twinge in my back or leg muscle - those were lucky slips I guess.

Do you believe in karma ? I often feel superstitious and I'm careful not to throw a jinx, but karma is a little different. I believe karma relates more to the inevitable consequences of your actions, not just your thoughts. Good karma could be giving a homeless guy a quarter, in this case the guy was holding a sign that said 25c for good karma. Bad karma could be lying about your son's age to save a valuable ski coupon. Can writing about it produce karma ? What about engaging legal action, now that's a pretty seismic karmic action, no ?

Don't put off something you want to do today. The day of the accident, I taught my daughter how to ski. I'm so pleased I did that. It took a lot of work to get her out (with extra effort to get Suzanne to help too), but I'm really glad I persisted. I'd be pretty upset if I'd delayed that action, had an accident and then have to wait a whole year to see if she'd be interested again ! What about all those chances I've had to try new things, what if I'd never tried to water ski or ride a skateboard, and now, who knows whether I'd be able to ? Some thought I was a little nutty playing two nights of ultimate and one of shinny a week this winter. Well, I feel pretty good that I got all those games in before this injury. I miss being able to play sports already !

Your leg bone is connected to your hip bone. Everything is connected, mess one thing up and you could get completely out of balance. In my case, taking 1/2 my body weight off one leg is pretty tiring, my left leg is complaining and my right hip isn't happy with it's new positional requirements. You try finding a comfortable sleeping position with the equivalent of a ski boot on one foot. Take care of your body, don't neglect any one part. On this theme, I've even taken this opportunity to try and start a better upper body exercise regimen. I believe in holistic health, for example, the skin on my face shows the slightest sign of stress in my life. Right now, my body is pretty messed up, however I don't have any zits!

Be a friend. When you're down and out, you need friends and family to lift your spirits and you really appreciate a helping hand. Thanks to everyone's kind words and offers to help and a special thanks to my wife, Suzanne who not only is great caregiver but keeps me entertained !

From fashion to fanaticism

I started writing this blog about a month ago but got a little bogged down trying to finish the piece, I still don't think all the ideas are fully baked..., but here goes (one more draft blog posted)...

I heard the news about Aqsa Parvez in the paper on Tuesday Dec 11th. That same morning I had an argument with my son about what was appropriate to wear to go to his field trip outing to the theatre. Now, I hope I can get some of the following ideas down without sounding ridiculous in my comparison of a trivial argument about fashion with my son to the tragic murder of the Muslim girl who wanted to be normal and not wear her hijab. There are few reasons I can think of why we wear what we do.

1. We want to look cool | sexy | elegant | wealthy | stylish to attract the opposite sex (and differentiating yourself from the other neanderthals drinking Labbat's Blue beside you).
   
2. We want to wear something that makes us look different.
3. We want to wear something that makes us fit in and look "normal".
   

This last point is the first one I'd like to explore. We don't just pick clothes that everyone else wears so we look normal, but rather most people pick clothes that are appropriate for the situation. When we are presenting a business proposal we dress in a way that says we know what we're talking about, we're serious about your business, we respect the way you do business and ultimately that we have credibility. We "belong" in that meeting. I think you can take this base level idea of looking like we belong or presenting an appearance that shows our credibility to many, if not all situations. Think of the fashionable young store clerk working at H&M; the bouncer outside the punk concert; a doctor; the golfer, a politician; or a teenager. Some people want to look different. They go against the grain of normal to stand out in a crowd - like the business man who wears a bow tie, the leading edge flashionista that looks ridiculous until you see the same outfit being worn by Gwen Stefani; or the teenage punk who has gone retro and has a mohawk. Some want to be noticed, some don't give a s* what other people think.

What's perhaps missing here is another angle, one where you gain respect and credibility for being different or not going with the trend or the norm. There are some famous people that became famous for this very reason, whether that be Andy Warhol, Boy George or Johnny Cash. But many of us, gain respect from simply having credibility in our jobs and pursuits. When first impressions count, appearing and sounding like we belong is the easiest and quickest way to that credibility and respect.

With kids, although our best intentions and ideologies promote independent thinking for our children, we can't help it, but we know they are a reflection of us. They reflect how you have raised them and what your ideals may be. Is that fair, perhaps not, but it's understandable.

In most cases, people simply disagree with the grades of appropriateness, i.e one person cringes at the idea of wearing jeans and running shoes to a business meeting, while another may be ok with jeans for a visiting California exec with a nice pair of shoes. In in most cases, these disagreements are harmless. It's when extreme reactions (religious and fanatical, e.g. football hooligan team colours) exceed common sense that we should perhaps take note of.

2007 Best of

Tis the season to try and pick my favourite music for the year. And I've managed to squeeze in some of other best of comments below as well.

I'll actually start with an old tune. This one I remember from the late seventies when I was a teenager just before coming to Canada. It was re-introduced on the soundtrack to Hot Fuzz (which you can include on the best movies of the year list) and includes some classic lines from the movie ("why are you dressed like a police officer ?...because I am one"). Track #1 Sweet - Blockbuster.

The next one is an easier going track from one of the most successful British bands in the last 3 years, taken from the second album that like the first, grows on me more every time I listen to it. We were lucky enough to see them here in concert this summer - tight and energized set and one of our favourite concerts of the year. Track #2 Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent.

A was happy to see a bunch of young lads from my home town of Coventry hit big time this year with some great singles and a well put together debut album. Track#3 The Enemy - You're Not Alone is a great example of their gritty boyish anthems.

There were just so many great Brit bands and albums this year. Track #4 The Twang - Ice Cream Sundae is one of the many catchy tracks on their fine 2007 album.

Moving onto the dance floor for the next track. This got regular rotation play on Brit Radio and got some good dance remix attention too. Keep those feet tapping and heads bobbin' to Track #5 Reverend and The Makers - Heavyweight Champion of the World. Lots of fun sprinkled all over the album too.

You may want to sensor the next one for the kids if they can decipher the slurred lyrics. Track #6 from cheeky monkey Jamie T - Calm Down Dearest. Good video too for Sheila with Bob Hoskins lip-synching.

A quirky sing-a-long with near-to-home lyrics like "What Tune is this, but I like it...if you ask the DJ, on Monday I'll buy it" is #7 - Mr Hudson & The Library - Ask the DJ.

# 8 is my favourite track from the latest Kaiser Chiefs record. We saw them live this year and definitely rank high in the book of high energy live acts. Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning) is a gentler track and the only one I can think of that includes altruistic as a lyric. Q just included it in their essential downloads with the comment - artful use of parentheses. Along with this cool video (alternate feed from You Tube, which also reminds me of the great long tracking shot in Atonement), from the Chiefs, is Ruby - my favourite video of the year.

Another ballad makes #9 with Tonight by Hard-Fi. A great example of young Brits showing their more tender side. Nice live video version I just found too ! These lads are my must see for 2008 - they were a concert highlight last time around - let me know if you want me to send you a reminder when the concert is announced.

#10 is perhaps my favourite track of the year - The Manic Street Preachers - Your Love Alone is Not Enough. The song features Nina Persson from The Cardigans on guest vocals. Lots of great tracks from this year's quality album too.

There were a lot of singer songwriting ladies in rotation this year. Keren Ann - Lay Your Head Down (second choice in her MySpace playlist) is #11 with her beautiful voice overlay to this rich production number. She is playing the Mod Club in Toronto in February.

#12 follows the same sub-genre with Amy MacDonald - L.A. An unusual voice that took a while to warm up to, but now always welcome on the home playlists.

I'm are getting a lot of music from some great TV shows these days, including House and Entourage (favourite TV show of the year). I heard #13, Chicane - Autumn Tactics on one of these shows, but I can't find for the life of me remember or find out which one - sorry, system failure ! A great example of the electronic groove beats that are a PJMixer staple. A new find in 2007, but alas a track from 2000. As with a few other tracks on this list, as I'm finding the links, I'm finding a few other gems a long the way, I'll be spending some time on Chicane in 2008.

The second repeat artist from 2006 and the first Canadian contributor for this year makes #14, Feist - My Moon My Man. A very wide tempo mix on her latest album, but full of quality moments.

Number two Canadian act and #15 on this year's best of is Champion - The Plow (actually a 2006 album). This track is a little overshadowed by the massive No Heaven hit, but like #13, hits square bulls eye for sensual female vocal with electro beats, bigger in this case. Champion approaches his art by blending blues guitar and vocals with computer / synth generated beats. Fantastic stuff and their show in Toronto late summer was my concert highlight of the year. The link is their home page, scroll down to the Chill 'Em All album and you can sample some of the tracks, incl. The Plow. Other links are their MySpace page and the promo for their latest live DVD (which was one of my Christmas gifts). But the best link to share is the Ubisoft promo they did using the Jam Sessions Nintendo DS software. The live shots are from the intro of the show I've been trying to explain to a few people - I love these guys, can you tell !

Probably the most obscure track on this year's best of is Track #16, Fujiya & Miyagi - Collarbone, which I actually found on the Groove Armada Lovebox Weekender compilation. Wacky lyric to infectious tribal rhythms, probably found in the wee hours with a beverage in hand and an in-time wobbly head.

Timbaland came on the radar mid 2007 being associated with producing hits with some of the biggest pop acts of the day, however it took me a little longer to really rummage through the numbers and find some really catchy hip hop and approachable tracks. Track #17's title unfortunately butchers proper grammar like, but Timbaland - The Way I Are is great stuff.

You won't believe where I found this next one. A Michael Caine electronica compilation ! Yes, that Michael Caine. Apparently his passion for the disco is still alive and well, and from the likes of this track, he's got some pretty good taste for electronica with classic samples, in this case Nina Simone. #18 is Felix Da Housecat - Sinnerman (feat. Nina Simone).

And lastly, #19 - Devendra Banhart - Sea Horse. Definitely the most unusual name for a band and the music is very different to anything else on this playlist, and to almost everything I was listening to in 2007. A romp through the fields with flowers in ya hair, settling into some Doors-like darker moments, spinning some kaleidoscopic musical vistas and ending with a vintage Woodstock-like anthem. Quite the epic track to end on and like some very recent downloads, perhaps setting a bit of a sideline trend for what's to come in 2008.

2007 Best of

Tis the season to try and pick my favourite music for the year. And I've managed to squeeze in some of other best of comments below as well.

I'll actually start with an old tune. This one I remember from the late seventies when I was a teenager just before coming to Canada. It was re-introduced on the soundtrack to Hot Fuzz (which you can include on the best movies of the year list) and includes some classic lines from the movie ("why are you dressed like a police officer ?...because I am one"). Track #1 Sweet - Blockbuster.

The next one is an easier going track from one of the most successful British bands in the last 3 years, taken from the second album that like the first, grows on me more every time I listen to it. We were lucky enough to see them here in concert this summer - tight and energized set and one of our favourite concerts of the year. Track #2 Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent.

A was happy to see a bunch of young lads from my home town of Coventry hit big time this year with some great singles and a well put together debut album. Track#3 The Enemy - You're Not Alone is a great example of their gritty boyish anthems.

There were just so many great Brit bands and albums this year. Track #4 The Twang - Ice Cream Sundae is one of the many catchy tracks on their fine 2007 album.

Moving onto the dance floor for the next track. This got regular rotation play on Brit Radio and got some good dance remix attention too. Keep those feet tapping and heads bobbin' to Track #5 Reverend and The Makers - Heavyweight Champion of the World. Lots of fun sprinkled all over the album too.

You may want to sensor the next one for the kids if they can decipher the slurred lyrics. Track #6 from cheeky monkey Jamie T - Calm Down Dearest. Good video too for Sheila with Bob Hoskins lip-synching.

A quirky sing-a-long with near-to-home lyrics like "What Tune is this, but I like it...if you ask the DJ, on Monday I'll buy it" is #7 - Mr Hudson & The Library - Ask the DJ.

# 8 is my favourite track from the latest Kaiser Chiefs record. We saw them live this year and definitely rank high in the book of high energy live acts. Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning) is a gentler track and the only one I can think of that includes altruistic as a lyric. Q just included it in their essential downloads with the comment - artful use of parentheses. Along with this cool video (alternate feed from You Tube, which also reminds me of the great long tracking shot in Atonement), from the Chiefs, is Ruby - my favourite video of the year.

Another ballad makes #9 with Tonight by Hard-Fi. A great example of young Brits showing their more tender side. Nice live video version I just found too ! These lads are my must see for 2008 - they were a concert highlight last time around - let me know if you want me to send you a reminder when the concert is announced.

#10 is perhaps my favourite track of the year - The Manic Street Preachers - Your Love Alone is Not Enough. The song features Nina Persson from The Cardigans on guest vocals. Lots of great tracks from this year's quality album too.

There were a lot of singer songwriting ladies in rotation this year. Keren Ann - Lay Your Head Down (second choice in her MySpace playlist) is #11 with her beautiful voice overlay to this rich production number. She is playing the Mod Club in Toronto in February.

#12 follows the same sub-genre with Amy MacDonald - L.A. An unusual voice that took a while to warm up to, but now always welcome on the home playlists.

I'm are getting a lot of music from some great TV shows these days, including House and Entourage (favourite TV show of the year). I heard #13, Chicane - Autumn Tactics on one of these shows, but I can't find for the life of me remember or find out which one - sorry, system failure ! A great example of the electronic groove beats that are a PJMixer staple. A new find in 2007, but alas a track from 2000. As with a few other tracks on this list, as I'm finding the links, I'm finding a few other gems a long the way, I'll be spending some time on Chicane in 2008.

The second repeat artist from 2006 and the first Canadian contributor for this year makes #14, Feist - My Moon My Man. A very wide tempo mix on her latest album, but full of quality moments.

Number two Canadian act and #15 on this year's best of is Champion - The Plow (actually a 2006 album). This track is a little overshadowed by the massive No Heaven hit, but like #13, hits square bulls eye for sensual female vocal with electro beats, bigger in this case. Champion approaches his art by blending blues guitar and vocals with computer / synth generated beats. Fantastic stuff and their show in Toronto late summer was my concert highlight of the year. The link is their home page, scroll down to the Chill 'Em All album and you can sample some of the tracks, incl. The Plow. Other links are their MySpace page and the promo for their latest live DVD (which was one of my Christmas gifts). But the best link to share is the Ubisoft promo they did using the Jam Sessions Nintendo DS software. The live shots are from the intro of the show I've been trying to explain to a few people - I love these guys, can you tell !

Probably the most obscure track on this year's best of is Track #16, Fujiya & Miyagi - Collarbone, which I actually found on the Groove Armada Lovebox Weekender compilation. Wacky lyric to infectious tribal rhythms, probably found in the wee hours with a beverage in hand and an in-time wobbly head.

Timbaland came on the radar mid 2007 being associated with producing hits with some of the biggest pop acts of the day, however it took me a little longer to really rummage through the numbers and find some really catchy hip hop and approachable tracks. Track #17's title unfortunately butchers proper grammar like, but Timbaland - The Way I Are is great stuff.

You won't believe where I found this next one. A Michael Caine electronica compilation ! Yes, that Michael Caine. Apparently his passion for the disco is still alive and well, and from the likes of this track, he's got some pretty good taste for electronica with classic samples, in this case Nina Simone. #18 is Felix Da Housecat - Sinnerman (feat. Nina Simone).

And lastly, #19 - Devendra Banhart - Sea Horse. Definitely the most unusual name for a band and the music is very different to anything else on this playlist, and to almost everything I was listening to in 2007. A romp through the fields with flowers in ya hair, settling into some Doors-like darker moments, spinning some kaleidoscopic musical vistas and ending with a vintage Woodstock-like anthem. Quite the epic track to end on and like some very recent downloads, perhaps setting a bit of a sideline trend for what's to come in 2008.

Brief confessions of a reformed global warming skeptic

I have commented briefly about my views on global warming in the past. I was perhaps rather hasty in my comments on such a complex and important topic. I apologize. I was also likely guilty of flipping trendy Gore movie moments around a little too quickly (although I did intro some controversial element).

Since the movie, I've been guiltily open to opposing views and content and I've been carrying around an article from The National Post dated Oct 13th. It was titled Nine Convenient Untruths. It was next to an article about the UK judge that ruled Gore's film "exaggerated" (here's the link to the same story carried by the Washington Post). I finally got around to reading it this week and the first impression I got was - this article really doesn't provide a lot of real data against what Gore (and of course the many other advocates) say.

Today I received an email from my sister-in-law about signing a petition to speak up and get our prime minister to uphold Canada's values, stop blocking UN climate talks and immediately start working with other countries towards a new international climate agreement.

I typically make pretty quick decisions on matters of petitions, donations, good causes etc. But this one is of course a big one. I first researched Avaaz.org and I was a little annoyed to find out that this was not a Canadian organization. How can they speak for me as a Canadian, I thought ? Anyhow, I got over that and tried to satisfy my need-to-know questions and try and become an informed and caring global citizen. If any of you have spent a lot of time with the subject of global warming, then perhaps you can appreciate how truly complex the topic is. It was very easy to get the general fact that the earth is in deed warming. But the hardest part is to ascertain whether (man made) CO2 is the main culprit. So I've spent the last hour or so reading a lot of (very well organized) info on this topic. There is a great many scientists investing a lot of their time in trying to explain this to us peons. A great source I found today was RealClimate.

So my decision on this is that there is just way too much scientific evidence that says man is the largest cause of global warming, and global warming is a big problem. There's no shortage of neigh-sayers, but I don't think there is enough weight in their anti-proofs. When I would easily be swayed into believing that global warming is a trendy, alarmist and politically motivated mission, it appears the opposite is true. There is just too much being said by very smart people about man's effect on global warming. The other side appears to be the one stirring the pot, throwing skeptic grenades in to the discussion and be more politically motivated. I have signed the petition and hereby apologize for doubting the experts.

I think it's easy to take the side of the skeptic. It's less work. With a subject as complex and important as global warming, it's probably a very good use of all our time to use our brain power for a few hours and get to know the topic a little better. That way we can be an informed advocate for doing the right thing and saving the planet for future generations.

Does mess equal stress ?

After writing Messy is cool last night, I kept thinking about it as I was heading to bed. Although I said that chaos appears natural and may be a thing of art in my life, there can be too much of a good thing ! Too much or constant chaos in my life definitely brings on stress and shows me glimpses of a life of dysfunction and waste.

So, I was thinking that perhaps the easiest and maybe the only way to really reduce the amount of chaos in my life is to limit or reduce the things that could fall victim to this natural energy. For instance, in business, maybe reducing the amount of products I try and learn and sell would help; at home, perhaps the dream of adding a bedroom or family room extension would only create two more junk rooms. Of course, having one email address, one credit card and one car would make my life so much easier. Then you start thinking about other categories, food, clothes, um - maybe. Then there are some things in my life that I definitely want lots of choice in, lots of variety, and they tend to be entertainment pleasures, more music, movies and books !

Sure, I'll relax and accept the natural chaos in my life, I may even try and enjoy it. But why not try a few things to simplify my life.

The picture is a plot of the Lorenz attractor for values r = 28, σ = 10, b = 8/3, whatever that means.

Messy is cool

I saw this American Express print ad this weekend and thought what a great photo ! For some reason this shot appealed to me as a photographer, a techie, and someone struggling with organization. And also because of Tina Fey, it somehow says Hey, it's cool to be messy, what's the big huff ? And I like that.

What I'm trying to tackle these days is organizing my life, the things in it, how much time I spend with its things, and perhaps indirectly hoping to see the forest. But images like this and realities in my life suggest that the natural state of affairs naturally returns to a state of chaos. The tidy and paperless office; the empty inbox; fully indexed and categorized music, movies and photos; a budget; and knowing what things you have to do this week, are all either mirages of an organized life or examples of unstable equilibriums. And there is art and beauty in chaos, you just have to look a little harder and change your point of view.

If you're not familiar with Tina Fey, she came from Saturday Night Live and produces, writes and stars in 30 Rock.

The pic came from geeksugar.

A Rant

So today I had a meeting in Welland, Ontario. Nothing special, except that it's just past the distance limits of what my company feels they want to reimburse me for using my own car. Therefore as a good corporate citizen I rent a car today. The day started well, great service from the manager at the local Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and a nice drive to Welland enjoying XM satellite radio (especially the uncensored comedy on XM Comedy) - a sunny, 90 minute drive.

The first of my (petty) annoyances began when I was trying to find a reasonable stop for lunch. I had at least a 30 minute window before my meeting and drove past a Tim Horton's by the meeting location to find a better option. After circling around the depressing downtown area I decided back on Timmy's because the state of the local greasy spoons wasn't really appetizing.

The meeting went well and quite long. I knew I was facing rush hour traffic heading back home. But first I had to fill up. I circled the small downtown core of Welland without finding a decent gas station (i.e. one I could use my express transceivers, thus limiting my exposure to sub zero temps and making a speedy getaway). No luck, so I thought, hey I'll hop back on the main road and check out the next major exit, ok a few more clicks, past one-second choice gas station to a preferred Esso. Some of the pumps were cordoned off, and the opened ones had plastic no-gas covers on the pumps. I head in - are you serious ? Yes, we ran out of gas ! Pause - the traffic lights in Welland must be on some old-timer timing schedule - man they're long - or is it just me? So I settle on Canadian Tire gas, but the place is jammed, cars in all directions, some maintenance guy working on one of the pumps and a line up out of the pay cube hut !

So, I'm fueled up, warm and heading home with a fine selection of XM satellite music and comedy.

A quick check on the traffic report provides some guidance on avoiding an incident on the 401 East (I take the the 427 route). Traffic warning at Burloak. Not a biggy. I'm back in Toronto in predictable time and traffic. Ok, I can deal with this. But there do seem to be a few more nutters than usual on the road today. I head off the 401, thinking the worst is over, for the last stretch down the Allen - ouch ! Huge back up across 3 lanes all heading off at Lawrence. I play the 2 lane game trying to discourage the lane 3 drivers, it seems to take forever with cars separated by inches.

Off at Lawrence, almost home. Then the little things start bugging me. A poor last-minute manoeuvre has a car's ass end in my lane at the Bathurst light - sure go ahead idiot - 2 cars go through on red.

Turn on Avenue, almost home. Typical wait for left turn at Castlefield, but cars going out of order, and taking handfuls of my patience (I'm trying not to curse too much at this point) with polite little F* waves.

I actually drive past home to park the rental car at the lot at the end of my street. A few close passes avoiding protruding cars in snow banks (yes, we have quite a lot of snow and ice at the moment). The street is narrowing and becomes more and more clogged as I get closer to the last left turn of the day. I'm almost there, ok about a dozen Volvos and Lexi picking up little "preciouses".

I'm looking for a gap to turn into the lot, but no. So I'm stationary, signaling left and a car passes me on the left to get ahead to the next light - sure go ahead madam. Another car passes on the left - I go left block the road with I'm-almost-home-optimism. Then one guy can't reach the ticket dispenser, sure ticket lady give 'em a hand...

I'm in. I pack up my stuff and about to lock up, when the nice manager spots me - he's locked up but offered to take the keys - sure I say, here you go, great service mate ! Hold on, briefcase still in the car, got it, Good night.

I get home. My Blackberry is still in the car, for the night.

The story was going to end there, but I just got home and remembered where I'd put my Blackberry - ending the day on a good note.

Rio box score

Rio #1 Point Guard
North Toronto Basketball House League - Suns vs Raptors on Saturday Nov 24th

Mins	FGM-A	%	Ast	Off	Def	Stl	Points
30	9-14	.64	2	0	2	1	18

A very proud Dad.

Some shiny bits of online tech

Shiny, as in "ooh, shiny - that's cool", not as in bling.

• Digg - finding and rating surf content, filters, connection with friends, really nice shiny bits on digg labs.
• StumbleUpon - another surf content tool, it may require a toolbar, but I already found some great music stuff here.
• Del-icio-us - smilar to the prev, two, but keeps your bookmarks handy, connection with friends, toolbar may be needed.
• Musicovery - streaming music site, really groovy visuals, interesting choice behaviour and content.

Let me know if you use any of these services - I haven't signed up for any yet and not a favour of adding toolbars. Musicovery works well for finding new music without a subscription.

A small step for peace in the Middle East ?

Don't worry, I'm not going to try and give you any educated comments about the chances of long term success from the peace conference being hosted by Mr. Bush in Annapolis. Whenever potential milestones make front page news, I try my best to understand the details and also see the big picture. But, man, the politics of The Middle East is almost as complicated as trying to understand how to install Citrix Access Gateway Advanced Edition (don't ask).

So I just thought I'd pick a few items that got my attention in the paper today. 1. In the Post Editorial "From Annapolis, a whiff of hope" I liked the last paragraph:

As unfashionable as it may be for jaded observers to express any optimism about the Middle East, we find ourselves heartened by events in Annapolis. Give Messrs. Bush, Olmert and Abbas this much credit: Thanks to their performance in front of the cameras, the world seems a slightly safer place now than it was 24 hours ago.

2. In Letter of the day "Israel has little to gain at Annapolis", I couldn't help but feel discouraged that this man is just so negative, the last two sentences seem to summarize his views:

There really is no choice but to confront the jihadi evil sooner rather than later. The alternative is a greater war within a decade.

I hope I can safely say that I feel that it's better to at least continue to try and settle this dispute, no matter how painful the compromise. Doesn't some optimism and faith help take us closer to the end goal of peace more than ongoing intolerance.