31 December 2010

#6 - "What Does It Mean?"

I don't need to say anything. This is the funniest video I have ever seen.

#7 - The Wildnerness Downtown


Okay, make sure you're reading this in Google's Chrome browser.

You don't have it? Go get it.

Now, check out a pretty damn cool Chrome Experiment: The work done around "The Wildnerness Downtown", based upon Arcade Fire's song, "We Used to Wait".

The Wildnerness Downtown

I loved music videos growing up. I was addicted to MuchMusic (boxes of videotapes in the basement confirm this) and I would sometimes hear a song and sketch out how I thought the video should go - for a brief time, I considered "Music Video Director" as a potential career (thankfully not too long).

I thought that pretty much everything has been done in the music + visual medium, but then I read about this project and downloaded Chrome solely for this experience.



The combination of integrating memories with modern technology blew my mind, and gave me pause as I looked at my old neighbourhood from old and new angles. The ability to interact with a music video is not something I had ever considered. Not only does it work, it gives each person a unique experience, evoking different memories and emotions.

The Wilderness Downtown makes me excited to see what creative minds will bring in the future, particularly when it comes to music.

27 December 2010

#8 - 84

Continuing in my 2010 Top Ten Countdown...



In 1989 I was a steadily improving junior golfer, having gone through the same school as future PGA Tour pros and sons of captains of industry. However, I was also immature and would rather listen to rock music and read comics (both of which I still do far too much 21 years later).

That year, I shot 44-41 at The National Golf Club of Canada. I remember this because it was my best round ever, and a mark that I thought would be lowered on a regular basis with each successive round.

As you all know, THAT'S NOT HOW GOLF WORKS. Especially if you're an easily distracted head case. So I went through a couple of decades of sporadic golf and declining scores.

I did finally join another golf club (Springbank Links) in 2005, and worked in earnest on my game. Slowly, the scores started coming down again, but each time I flirted with breaking 85,I blew up and ended either with 85, or something slightly higher. Sometimes weird things happened, like last year when I shot 50-37 in a round. From hacking to can't miss all in the same 18 holes.

On more than a couple of occasions I stood on the 18th tee thinking "All I need to do is bogey this hole for an 84" and then I would triple-bogey the damn thing.

Then June 26 came around. I was playing with two excellent golfers (one a former club and city champion, and it was just solid from start to finish.

On the 18th tee I stood yet again, and this time it was "If I can par this hole I'll have an 84". My approach shot from 180 yards out was referred to by one of my playing partners as "one of the gutsiest shots he's seen me play" and it settled ten feet from the pin. I hit a solid putt that lipped out. Had it sunk, I would have shot an 83. Still, as I tapped in that par putt, it felt as though 50 pounds had fallen off my shoulders, as this mental obstacle had finally been shattered.

Of course, my game didn't come back to challenge that mark again in 2010, and my season was cut short with the birth of my son. I hope to raise the bar once more by lowering my score in 2011.

I mean, I can't lose - check out this golf swing!

#9 - "Amazing Things Will Happen"

Back to the Top Ten list with:

#9 - Conan O'Brien's Final Tonight Show Speech

I don't follow the late night wars. When people were deciding between Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien earlier this year and very vocally choosing sides, I laughed as 99% of the time I am deep in sleep by the time any of these shows come on. If I am awake at that time, I'd rather be watching Sportscentre or the Late News.

Over the years, I've found both Leno and Conan funny (also, Letterman and Kimmel). I have no complaints about any of them. Still, it seemed to me that Conan was getting jobbed for the Tonight Show job. Most of the blame lay with NBC, but it didn't seem as though Leno was helping with his comments and his earlier show.

So, with as much sadness as I could muster up for a guy getting a $45 million settlement, I felt bad for Conan as he signed off on his final Tonight Show, and I made a point of recording it to see if he went ballistic.

To my surprise, he gave a final speech that really grabbed me, and he provided a sentiment that I have often felt but had never been able to properly put into words:

Conan O'Brien's Farewell Speech from Sonlay on Vimeo.



"All I ask of you is one thing: please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere.

Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen."

20 December 2010

2010 in review - Top ten



We're at that time of the year when it's mandatory to look back at the past 12 months - the good, the bad, and the poopy. I was doing some cardio the other day and a number of things popped into my head that I thought would be worth cataloguing. So, over the next ten days, here are the top ten experiences I had over the calendar year 2010.

There is no science to this - I wrote a short list very quickly on a scrap of paper and this is being written in a "train of thought" style.

#10. The iPad



When the iPad first came out, the amount it was selling was insane. 3 million units in 80 days! I had always followed the rule of never to buy a first-generation Apple product.

Through a work promotion in the summertime, however, I won an iPad. I upgraded from the base to get the 32gb wi-fi version (no 3G coverage), and from day one, it has been an impressive little gadget.

It's extraordinarily easy to use, and there are applications (the kids call them "apps") for every mundane part of life. It's easy, fun, and portable to watch a movie on, great for showing photos, and amazingly, it's become an integral part of managing our son William since his arrival in September.

As all you parents know, it's crucial to track all details of the baby's activity, sleep, growth and more, especially if you want to be able to predict later behaviour. Rather than write this all down in a workbook, we found that "there's an app for that": Baby Connect.



Tiffany has been using Baby Connect since William's arrival and it has proven indispensible. We're able to show statistics to his doctor, count hours of sleep daily, and make estimations for future resources.

Sadly, with it being so closely tied to William, the iPad has pretty much become his iPad. I don't really get the chance to sit in a coffee shop with it and look cool/nerdy/hipster/attention whorish.

I know that within a few months, this device will be outdated. Competitors are all coming out with their own tablets, and some will certainly improve on the iPad. Of course, Apple themselves will release iPad Gen 2 in 2011, which will have some of the features THEY DELIBERATELY LEFT OUT of the first generation, such as a camera for video chatting.

Still, it has been a fantastic thing to have, and one of the few times in my life when I haven't felt like I'm years behind technologically.




Tomorrow: #9

23 November 2010

In the silence I hear my heart beating

I can't recall the last time the house was this silent. My wife and son are asleep, there is no construction going on outside the window, the TV is off, and I have even freed myself from the ubiquitous iPod for the evening. No sound other than the keyboard and the freight train of thoughts running through my head.

The silence is even more treasured given how noisy things were earlier on. Poor William, due to - something - did not want to sleep, concerning because of how little sleep he has had today. As can happen, putting him down to sleep was met with a great deal of resistance and "crying like he swallowed the fiery moon."

Fortunately, numerous efforts did eventually work, and William has been asleep for just over two hours. Tiffany, exhausted, followed soon after. I am standing (okay, sitting) guard next to William's room, listening to the baby monitor and feeling my heart skip a beat every time I hear a peep, hoping it's not a precursor to him waking up and starting this process over again.

My first concern is for William's well-being. We had him on a fairly strong routine over his first two months, but difficulties arose last week with the onset of a growth spurt. The standard "Eat, play, then go to sleep" cycle hasn't worked out well in these recent days. We are aware how important sleep is to William's growth, so we're hoping that with some minor adjustments, he'll be able to get to sleep easier once more.

Then there is my poor wife - as if she hasn't been put through enough, she operates on a 24-hour cycle. I worry that she doesn't get enough sleep, so I'm thrilled that she hopped into bed right away. With William's pattern being as unpredictable as it is, who knows when she'll have to get up to feed him again?

Tiffany and I are both people of routine, so whenever a curveball is thrown, it raises our panic levels somewhat. As I held William, trying to rock him as he howled, I thought to myself, "What if this doesn't work? What will you do the next time?" As any parent will tell you, raising children is like facing a great deal of curveballs. You can't predict anything. It's terrifying, but also a good way to break out of a routine, and think outside the box a bit. It's just that the stakes are so high.

So I sit in silence, listening for my baby, but hoping to hear nothing. I have been too scared to turn on the dishwasher, fearing any sound would wake William, but perhaps the time has come to get on with it.